Breakdown of Hier links afslaan.
hier
here
afslaan
to turn (change direction on a road)
links
left / on the left
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Questions & Answers about Hier links afslaan.
Why does this sentence use the infinitive afslaan instead of the command form sla af?
In Dutch, it is very common to use the bare infinitive as an impersonal command. You will see this everywhere on public signs, in manuals, and in recipes. It gives a general instruction to the public rather than speaking to one specific person.
Afslaan is a separable verb. Why doesn't it split up here?
Because this instruction uses the infinitive form, the verb stays in its complete, unsplit dictionary form. If you were giving a direct, personal command, it would split: Sla hier links af!
Could the sign say Hier naar links afslaan instead?
Yes, adding naar (to) is grammatically correct. However, public signs and instructions drop extra words to be as short and direct as possible, so just links is preferred.
Why is the verb right at the end of the sentence?
Whenever you use an infinitive to give an instruction like this, the verb must always be placed at the very end of the phrase. The location (hier) and direction (links) are placed before it.