Breakdown of Als we vroeger kattenkwaad uithaalden, kregen we geen straf, tenzij de leraar het zag.
geen
no / not any
zien
to see
het
it
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
krijgen
to get (receive)
als
if / when (condition)
vroeger
in the past
tenzij
unless
de straf
the punishment
de leraar
the teacher (schoolteacher)
het kattenkwaad
the mischief
uithalen
to pull (a trick) / to make (mischief)
Questions & Answers about Als we vroeger kattenkwaad uithaalden, kregen we geen straf, tenzij de leraar het zag.
Why do we use als here instead of toen, since the sentence is in the past tense?
While toen is used for specific, one-time events in the past (meaning "when"), we use als for repeated actions or habits in the past (meaning "whenever"). The word vroeger (back in the days) emphasizes that getting up to mischief was a regular habit, making als the correct choice.
How does the phrase kattenkwaad uithaalden work structurally?
Kattenkwaad translates to "mischief" (literally "cat's evil"). The verb used with it is uithalen (to get up to / to pull a prank). Because it is a separable verb inside a subordinate clause introduced by als, the prefix uit- and the conjugated verb -haalden are glued back together and placed at the very end of the clause.
Why does the second part say kregen we instead of we kregen?
This is the V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The entire first clause (Als we vroeger kattenkwaad uithaalden) occupies the first position of the main sentence. The main verb (kregen) must take the second position immediately after it, which forces the subject (we) to flip to the other side of the verb.
Does tenzij affect the word order of the final clause?
Yes! Tenzij means "unless" and functions as a subordinating conjunction. Just like als or omdat, it sends the conjugated verb to the end of its clause. That is why we see de leraar het zag instead of the normal subject-verb-object order de leraar zag het.
Learn Als we vroeger kattenkwaad uithaalden, kregen we geen straf, tenzij de leraar het zag 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