Breakdown of Als u de dure diamant verkocht, zou u de helikopter kunnen betalen.
u
you (formal)
betalen
to pay
verkopen
to sell
duur
expensive
Questions & Answers about Als u de dure diamant verkocht, zou u de helikopter kunnen betalen.
How does this sentence show that the situation is hypothetical?
To talk about a hypothetical situation (something that isn't actually happening), Dutch uses als with the simple past tense (verkocht) in the "if" clause, and zou or zouden in the main clause. Even though we use the past tense verkocht, we are imagining a present or future event.
Why does the second part of the sentence start with zou u instead of u zou?
This happens because of the verb-second rule. The entire als clause (Als u de dure diamant verkocht) acts as the first block of information. The conjugated verb of the main clause (zou) must take the second position, which pushes the subject (u) right behind it.
Where does the verb form verkocht come from?
Verkocht is the simple past tense of verkopen (to sell). It is an irregular verb, similar to how "sell" becomes "sold" in English. Because it is in an als clause, this verb is pushed to the very end of its specific part of the sentence.
How does the word order work with "would be able to pay"?