ELONIO
Log inSign up

Wil ze zich aanmelden, dan moet ze bellen.

Wil ze zich aanmelden, dan moet ze bellen.
If she wants to sign up, then she must call.
From Lesson 140:Verb-first conditional clauses (kom je, dan...)·Dutch

Questions & Answers about Wil ze zich aanmelden, dan moet ze bellen.

Why is there no word for "if" in this sentence?
In Dutch, you can create a conditional "if" clause simply by dropping the word als (if) and moving the verb to the very front. Starting with Wil ze... instead of Als ze wil... automatically translates to "If she wants...".
Why is the second part dan moet ze bellen instead of dan ze moet bellen?
In a main Dutch clause, the verb needs to be in the second position. The word dan (then) takes up the first spot to link back to the condition, so the verb moet has to come immediately after it. This pushes the subject ze after the verb, following the rule of inversion.
What is the purpose of zich in this sentence?
It belongs to the verb zich aanmelden, meaning "to sign up" or "to register". This is a reflexive verb in Dutch, meaning you literally register yourself. Because the subject is ze (she), the correct reflexive pronoun is zich.
Why is aanmelden placed right before the comma?
The first clause is built around the modal verb willen (to want), here conjugated as Wil. In Dutch, a conjugated modal verb pushes the action verb (the infinitive, aanmelden) all the way to the end of its clause.

Learn Wil ze zich aanmelden, dan moet ze bellen and more in Dutch

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Dutch →