Learn Dutch: Naargelang je minder calorieën drinkt, val je sneller af. - As you drink fewer calories, you lose weight faster.

Naargelang je minder calorieën drinkt, val je sneller af.

As you drink fewer calories, you lose weight faster.

Breakdown of Naargelang je minder calorieën drinkt, val je sneller af.

Questions & Answers about Naargelang je minder calorieën drinkt, val je sneller af.

Why is the verb drinkt at the very end of the first clause?

Because naargelang is a subordinating conjunction (here meaning "as" or "in proportion as"). In Dutch, subordinating conjunctions kick the conjugated verb—in this case, drinkt—to the very end of their specific clause.

Does naargelang mean the same thing as omdat (because) here?

Not exactly. While it translates to "as" in this sentence, naargelang emphasizes a proportional or sliding-scale relationship. It shows that the rate of your weight loss directly depends on the amount of calories you cut. Omdat would just give a static reason.

Why does the second part of the sentence start with val je instead of je valt?

This is the classic Dutch V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The entire dependent clause (Naargelang je minder calorieën drinkt) acts as the first "block" of information in the sentence. Because the main verb must take the second position, val comes immediately after the comma, forcing the subject (je) to invert and follow it.

Where does the word af at the very end of the sentence come from?

It is the prefix of the separable verb afvallen, which means "to lose weight". In a main clause, the conjugated part of the verb (val) takes the second position, while the separable prefix (af) gets pushed to the very end of the sentence.