Breakdown of Wanneer de procedure klaar is, dan schakelt u het apparaat in.
zijn
to be
u
you (formal)
klaar
ready
wanneer
when
dan
then
het apparaat
the appliance / the device
de procedure
the procedure
inschakelen
to switch on
Questions & Answers about Wanneer de procedure klaar is, dan schakelt u het apparaat in.
What is the purpose of dan in this sentence? Can I leave it out?
dan (then) is a resumptive adverb. It "resumes" or points back to the time or condition mentioned in the first clause (Wanneer de procedure klaar is). While you could technically leave it out in Dutch and just say , schakelt u..., adding dan emphasizes the sequence of events and is very common after a fronted wanneer or als clause.
Why is the verb schakelt right after dan? Shouldn't the subject come first?
This happens because of the Dutch inversion rule. The main clause starts with the adverb dan. When a main clause begins with anything other than the subject, the verb must come exactly in the second position, pushing the subject immediately after it. That gives us dan + schakelt + u.
Why is the word in at the very end of the sentence?
It belongs to the separable verb inschakelen (to switch on). In a main clause, the conjugated part of the verb (schakelt) takes the second position, and its prefix (in) is kicked to the very end of the sentence.
Could I use Als instead of Wanneer to start this sentence?
Yes, you could. Wanneer (when) and als (if/when) are highly interchangeable when talking about conditions and time. Wanneer sounds slightly more formal or technical, which perfectly matches the formal u (you) and the context of following a procedure.
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