Breakdown of Zodra ik wakker ben, douch ik zonder mijn smartphone te checken.
ik
I
zijn
to be
mijn
my
wakker
awake
Questions & Answers about Zodra ik wakker ben, douch ik zonder mijn smartphone te checken.
Why does the Dutch say te checken (to check) instead of an "-ing" word like in English?
In English, we say "without checking". Dutch doesn't use "-ing" forms after prepositions like "without". Instead, it uses the structure zonder ... te followed by the full dictionary form of the verb (the infinitive).
Why is mijn smartphone placed between zonder and te checken?
In a zonder ... te clause, zonder starts the phrase, and te plus the infinitive verb must go at the very end. Any objects or extra information, like mijn smartphone, get sandwiched between them.
Why is the word order douch ik instead of ik douch?
This is due to the Dutch verb-second rule. The sentence starts with an entire time clause (Zodra ik wakker ben). This whole clause acts as the first block of the sentence. The main verb (douch) must be the second block, so it flips places with the subject (ik).
Why is ben at the very end of the first part of the sentence?
The word zodra (as soon as) is a subordinating conjunction. It introduces a dependent clause, which forces the conjugated verb (ben) to the very end of that specific clause, right before the comma.