Breakdown of Naargelang we meer koolhydraten eten, krijgen we meer calorieën.
wij
we
eten
to eat
krijgen
to get (receive)
meer
more
naargelang
depending on whether / as (in proportion to)
het koolhydraat
the carbohydrate
de calorie
the calorie
Questions & Answers about Naargelang we meer koolhydraten eten, krijgen we meer calorieën.
Why is the verb eten at the end of the first clause, but krijgen at the beginning of the second?
Naargelang is a subordinating conjunction, which forces the verb eten to the end of its clause. Because this entire subclause acts as the first position of the overall sentence, the main clause must start with its verb to maintain the Dutch verb-second rule. That is why krijgen comes right after the comma, jumping in front of the subject we.
Could I use naarmate instead of naargelang in this sentence?
Yes, naarmate and naargelang are often interchangeable when describing a proportional change. Naarmate is slightly more common when talking about processes that change over time (like growing older), while naargelang strongly emphasizes the dependency between the two clauses, but both fit perfectly here.
Why does calorieën have two dots (a trema) on the final 'e'?
The singular word is calorie, which ends in 'ie'. When making it plural by adding -en, Dutch adds a trema to the 'e' of the suffix to show that a new syllable starts there. Without it, you might mispronounce the cluster of vowels as a single sound. Words like koolhydraten don't need this because the syllable break is already obvious.
Is krijgen the most natural verb to use for getting calories?
Krijgen is perfectly correct here, but Dutch speakers also frequently use the separable verb binnenkrijgen (to ingest or take in) when talking about nutrients, food, or calories. If you used that, the sentence would end with ... krijgen we meer calorieën binnen.
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