Word
Als u de aangifte invult, moet u de waarde vermelden.
Meaning
When you fill in the report, you must state the value.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Als u de aangifte invult, moet u de waarde vermelden.
u
you (formal)
moeten
to have to, must
invullen
to fill in
als
if / when (condition)
Questions & Answers about Als u de aangifte invult, moet u de waarde vermelden.
Why is invult written as one word at the end of the first clause?
Invullen (to fill in) is a separable verb. In a normal main clause, it splits (for example: U vult de aangifte in). However, because it is in a subordinate clause starting with Als, the verb is pushed to the end of the clause, and the prefix (in-) reattaches to the main verb (-vult).
Why does the second half of the sentence start with moet u instead of u moet?
Dutch uses verb-second word order in main clauses. The entire first clause (Als u de aangifte invult) acts as the first element of the overall sentence. Therefore, the conjugated verb of the main clause (moet) must come immediately after the comma, pushing the subject (u) to the third position.
Does Als mean 'when' or 'if' here?
It can actually mean both! In Dutch, als is used for both 'if' (a condition) and 'when' (referring to a future or general event). Context usually tells you which one it is. Here, 'When you fill in the report' and 'If you fill in the report' both make sense, but 'when' is the more natural translation for official instructions.
How could I rephrase this sentence to use an attributive past participle, like in this lesson?