Breakdown of Indien de pijn verergert, is de situatie ernstig.
zijn
to be
de pijn
the pain
de situatie
the situation
indien
in the event that
Questions & Answers about Indien de pijn verergert, is de situatie ernstig.
What is the difference between indien and als in this sentence?
Both mean 'if', but indien is much more formal. You will mostly see it in written Dutch, like medical leaflets, legal texts, or formal instructions, which perfectly fits the medical context of this sentence. In everyday speech, you would normally just say als de pijn verergert.
Why is the verb verergert at the very end of the first clause?
Because indien is a subordinating conjunction. Words like this introduce a dependent clause and force the verb (verergert) to the very end of that specific clause.
Why does the second part say is de situatie instead of de situatie is?
This is a classic example of the verb-second (V2) rule. The entire first clause (Indien de pijn verergert) counts as the first block of information. To keep the main verb (is) in the second position of the whole sentence, the subject (de situatie) has to jump behind it.
How is the verb verergert formed?