Breakdown of Wanneer het alarm klinkt, dan schakelt u de stroom uit.
u
you (formal)
wanneer
when
dan
then
het alarm
the alarm
klinken
to sound
uitschakelen
to switch off
de stroom
the power / the electricity (electrical)
Questions & Answers about Wanneer het alarm klinkt, dan schakelt u de stroom uit.
Why is dan used in the middle of this sentence?
It acts as a resumptive adverb. Because the sentence starts with a dependent time clause (Wanneer het alarm klinkt), Dutch often uses dan (then) to neatly tie it to the main clause. It is optional—you could just say ..., schakelt u de stroom uit without it—but adding dan is very natural in Dutch to emphasize the cause-and-effect relationship.
Why is the word order dan schakelt u instead of dan u schakelt?
This is because of the V2 (verb-second) rule. In the main clause, the conjugated verb must be the second element. Because the resumptive adverb dan takes the first position, the verb schakelt must come immediately after it, pushing the subject u to the third position. This swapping of the subject and verb is known as inversion.
Where does the word uit at the very end come from?
It is the prefix of the separable verb uitschakelen (to switch off). In a normal main clause, the conjugated part of the verb (schakelt) takes the second position, while the prefix (uit) gets kicked all the way to the end of the sentence.
Can I use als instead of wanneer in this sentence?
Yes, you can. Als and wanneer both mean 'when' in this context and are interchangeable. Wanneer sounds slightly more formal, which fits perfectly with the formal pronoun u used in this instruction.
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