Ik roep mijn zus wanneer ik de badkamer nodig heb, omdat er maar één douche is.

I call out to my sister when I need the bathroom, because there is only one shower.

Breakdown of Ik roep mijn zus wanneer ik de badkamer nodig heb, omdat er maar één douche is.

• ik: I
• mijn: my
• roepen: to call out
• de badkamer: the bathroom
• wanneer: when
• de zus: the sister
• nodig hebben: to need
• omdat: because
• er: there
• maar: but, only
• één: one
• de douche: the shower

Questions & Answers about Ik roep mijn zus wanneer ik de badkamer nodig heb, omdat er maar één douche is.

Why is wanneer used here instead of als?

In Dutch, both wanneer and als can mean "when." However, wanneer is often used to indicate a specific point in time or a condition that will definitely happen, while als can be more general or hypothetical. Here, the speaker specifically means "at the time that I need the bathroom," making wanneer a natural choice.

Why do we say ik de badkamer nodig heb instead of ik heb de badkamer nodig?

In a subordinate clause introduced by wanneer, the conjugated verb (heb) usually goes to the end of the clause. This is standard word order in Dutch for subordinate clauses. If it were the main clause, you'd say ik heb de badkamer nodig.

Why use roep instead of bel?

Roepen literally means "to call out loud," while bellen is "to call by phone." The sentence suggests the speaker is physically calling their sister, perhaps to tell her they need the bathroom. If the speaker were calling by phone, bel would make more sense.

What is the function of omdat and why is there er in the clause omdat er maar één douche is?

Omdat is a subordinating conjunction meaning "because," and it introduces a reason or explanation. The word er is often used as an expletive in Dutch for introducing or indicating the existence of something—in this case, the existence of only one shower.

How does maar function in omdat er maar één douche is?

In this context, maar means “only.” Dutch uses maar in contexts where English might use “only” to express limitation. It's not the same as the coordinating conjunction maar meaning “but.” Here, it emphasizes that there is just a single shower, no more.