Breakdown of Het medicijn in de koelkast bewaren indien het warm is.
zijn
to be
in
in
warm
warm
het
it
de koelkast
the fridge
bewaren
to keep / preserve
het medicijn
the medicine
indien
in the event that
Questions & Answers about Het medicijn in de koelkast bewaren indien het warm is.
Why does this sentence use the infinitive bewaren instead of the command form bewaar?
In Dutch, it is very common to use the full infinitive verb (bewaren) to give impersonal instructions, rules, or guidelines. You will often see this on signs, packaging, or in manuals. If someone were speaking directly to you, they would be more likely to say Bewaar het medicijn...
What is the difference between indien and als?
Both mean 'if', but indien is much more formal. It translates closer to 'in the event that' or 'provided that'. You will mostly encounter indien in formal writing, legal texts, and written instructions (like this medicine label), while als is used in everyday conversation.
Why is the verb is at the very end of the sentence?
Indien is a subordinating conjunction, which means it introduces a dependent clause. In Dutch, dependent clauses use verb-final word order. That is why the verb is gets pushed to the end, resulting in indien het warm is rather than 'indien het is warm'.
Could I start the sentence with the indien clause?
Yes! You can say Indien het warm is, het medicijn in de koelkast bewaren. Notice that because the main clause uses an infinitive for a general instruction (bewaren), we do not have to worry about the usual verb inversion that happens when you start a regular sentence with a dependent clause.
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