Breakdown of Indien uw saldo ontoereikend is, kunnen we niet afschrijven.
zijn
to be
niet
not
uw
your (formal)
kunnen
can
Questions & Answers about Indien uw saldo ontoereikend is, kunnen we niet afschrijven.
Why use indien here instead of als?
Indien means "if" or "in case," just like als, but it is highly formal. You will almost exclusively see it in official letters, legal documents, or banking terms like this sentence, rather than in everyday conversation.
How is the formal word ontoereikend built?
It means "insufficient" and comes from the verb toereiken (to suffice or to reach). The prefix on- makes it negative, and the -d makes it a present participle used as an adjective. A more common, everyday alternative would be niet genoeg.
Why is the word order kunnen we instead of we kunnen in the second half?
The sentence starts with a subordinate clause (Indien uw saldo ontoereikend is). Because this entire clause occupies the first position of the overall sentence, the main verb (kunnen) must take the second position, placing the subject (we) directly after it.
How could we express this same condition using anders?