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)
de aangifte
the report / the police report (formal declaration)
de waarde
the value
vermelden
to mention / to state
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?
While this sentence uses a normal subordinate clause, you could shorten it by turning the verb into an adjective (an attributive past participle). Instead of saying 'When you fill in the report', you could talk about 'the filled-in report' by using ingevuld (filled in) with an -e ending: de ingevulde aangifte. A sentence could be: U moet de waarde op de ingevulde aangifte vermelden (You must state the value on the filled-in report).
What specific kind of report is an aangifte?
Aangifte refers strictly to an official declaration or report made to authorities. The most common everyday examples are a tax return (belastingaangifte) or a police report (aangifte doen). You would not use it for a standard business or school report, which would be a verslag or rapport.
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