Breakdown of Zodra u rook ruikt, dan rekenen we erop dat u onmiddellijk evacueert.
u
you (formal)
dan
then
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
dat
that (conjunction)
zodra
as soon as
erop
on it
rekenen op
to count on
ruiken
to smell
onmiddellijk
immediately
de rook
the smoke
evacueren
to evacuate
Questions & Answers about Zodra u rook ruikt, dan rekenen we erop dat u onmiddellijk evacueert.
Why is dan used before rekenen we, and how does it affect the word order?
The word dan is acting as a resumptive adverb. It 'resumes' or sums up the condition you just stated in the first clause (Zodra u rook ruikt). Because dan occupies the first position in the main clause, it takes up the first slot and triggers inversion: dan rekenen we instead of dan we rekenen.
Could I leave dan out of this sentence?
Yes, you can drop it. If you leave it out, the entire first clause acts as position one, so you still need inversion in the main clause: Zodra u rook ruikt, rekenen we erop... Adding dan just emphasizes the cause-and-effect relationship, which is common in spoken Dutch.
Why do we use erop here instead of just the preposition op?
The verb is rekenen op (to count on). When a preposition links to a following dat-clause, Dutch doesn't let you use the preposition alone. Instead, it turns into a pronominal adverb (er + op = erop) to act as a placeholder that points forward to the dat-clause.
The English translation says 'you evacuating'. Why does Dutch use a whole new clause (dat u evacueert)?
English often uses an '-ing' word after a preposition. Dutch doesn't use its '-ing' forms this way. To express ideas like 'counting on [someone] doing [something]', you almost always have to use a full subclause starting with dat and ending with a conjugated verb.
As a quick refresher, why is the verb ruikt at the very end of the first clause?
The word Zodra (as soon as) is a subordinating conjunction, meaning it introduces a subclause. In Dutch subclauses, the conjugated verb is always pushed to the end, which is why ruikt comes after rook.
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