Breakdown of Ik controleer de zending zodra ik tijd heb.
ik
I
hebben
to have
de tijd
the time
controleren
to check
Questions & Answers about Ik controleer de zending zodra ik tijd heb.
Why is the verb heb at the very end of the sentence?
The word zodra (as soon as) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and forces the conjugated verb to the end of that clause. So, instead of ik heb tijd, the order becomes zodra ik tijd heb.
The English translation implies a future action. Why doesn't the Dutch sentence use the future tense zal controleren?
Dutch frequently uses the present tense to talk about the future, especially when the rest of the sentence makes the timing clear. Because zodra ik tijd heb places the action in the future, the present tense controleer is perfectly natural and more common than using zullen (will).
Does the verb controleren mean "to control"?
It is a notorious false friend! In Dutch, controleren almost always means "to check", "to inspect", or "to verify" (like checking a shipment or your homework). If you want to say "control" in the sense of steering a car or dominating a situation, you would use verbs like besturen or beheersen.
How does the word zending get its meaning?
It comes from the verb zenden, which means "to send". By adding the suffix -ing to the verb stem, it becomes a noun. So a zending is literally a "sending"—which we call a shipment or delivery in English.