Breakdown of Indien we de bomen verwijderen, moeten we dit ergens compenseren.
de boom
the tree
dit
this (neuter)
ergens
somewhere
moeten
to have to, must
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
verwijderen
to remove
indien
in the event that
compenseren
to compensate
Questions & Answers about Indien we de bomen verwijderen, moeten we dit ergens compenseren.
Why use indien here instead of als?
Indien means "if" or "in case," just like als. However, indien is more formal and is mostly used in written Dutch, official documents, or professional discussions (which fits the context of urban planning and removing trees). In everyday speech, you would almost always hear als.
Why does the second part of the sentence start with the verb moeten?
This is due to the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire "if" clause (Indien we de bomen verwijderen) acts as the first block of information. Therefore, the conjugated verb of the main clause (moeten) must immediately follow the comma to take the second position, pushing the subject (we) to the third position.
The English translation says "compensate for this", but there is no Dutch word for "for". Why?
In English we say "compensate for [something]", but the Dutch verb compenseren takes a direct object. You don't need a preposition here. You simply compensate the action itself, which gives us dit compenseren.
What exactly does dit refer to in this sentence?
Dit refers back to the entire preceding action: the removal of the trees. When pointing back to a whole situation, action, or clause rather than a specific "de" or "het" noun, Dutch uses the neuter pronouns dit (this) or dat (that).
Learn Indien we de bomen verwijderen, moeten we dit ergens compenseren and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free