Breakdown of De vervaldatum is verstreken, dus betaal nu, anders sturen ze het incassobureau.
zijn
to be
zij
they
nu
now
betalen
to pay
sturen
to send
dus
so, therefore
anders
otherwise / differently
verstrijken
to pass (of time)
het incassobureau
the collection agency
de vervaldatum
the due date
Questions & Answers about De vervaldatum is verstreken, dus betaal nu, anders sturen ze het incassobureau.
Why is the word order sturen ze after anders instead of ze sturen?
Anders acts as a conditional adverb here, meaning 'otherwise' or 'if not'. In Dutch, when a main clause starts with an adverb, it triggers inversion: the conjugated verb must come immediately before the subject. Therefore, we get the verb sturen directly followed by the subject ze.
If anders causes inversion, why doesn't dus cause inversion in dus betaal nu?
Dus can act as both an adverb and a coordinating conjunction. When used as a coordinating conjunction linking two main clauses (as it does here, meaning 'so'), it sits outside the clause's word order rules and does not trigger inversion. The phrase betaal nu only starts with a verb because it is an imperative (a command).
What is the infinitive of is verstreken and how is it used?
The infinitive is verstrijken. It is an intransitive strong verb used exclusively to express that a specific amount of time, a deadline, or a validity period has passed or expired. Because it indicates a change of state, it forms its perfect tense with zijn (to be) rather than hebben, which is why the sentence uses is verstreken.
Why use vervaldatum here instead of a borrowed word like deadline?
While deadline is commonly used in Dutch for work projects or tasks, vervaldatum specifically refers to an official expiration date (like on a carton of milk) or a formal due date for a payment. It is a compound noun made from vervallen (to expire) and datum (date).
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