Breakdown of U moet de arts waarschuwen indien u zwanger bent.
zijn
to be
u
you (formal)
de arts
the doctor
moeten
to have to, must
waarschuwen
to warn
zwanger
pregnant
indien
in the event that
Questions & Answers about U moet de arts waarschuwen indien u zwanger bent.
Why is the verb bent at the very end of the sentence?
The word indien (in the event that) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and pushes the verb to the end of that clause. That is why we say indien u zwanger bent instead of indien u bent zwanger.
Could I use als instead of indien in this sentence?
Yes, als means the same thing and uses the exact same verb-final word order. However, indien is more formal and is typically used in official instructions, contracts, or medical notices, which makes it a perfect fit for this context.
Why are moet and waarschuwen separated?
The first part of the sentence is the main clause. Because it uses the modal verb moet, the main action verb (waarschuwen) gets pushed to the end of that clause. The dependent clause starting with indien simply gets attached after the main clause is complete.
Is there a reason this sentence uses arts instead of dokter?
Both words mean doctor and are usually interchangeable, but arts (physician) sounds slightly more formal and professional. This matches the formal tone set by the pronoun u (formal you) and the conjunction indien.
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