Hij zal de koelkast uitzetten voordat hij vertrekt.

He will turn off the fridge before he leaves.

Breakdown of Hij zal de koelkast uitzetten voordat hij vertrekt.

• hij: he
• zullen: will
• de koelkast: the fridge
• voordat: before
• uitzetten: to turn off
• vertrekken: to leave

Questions & Answers about Hij zal de koelkast uitzetten voordat hij vertrekt.

Why does the sentence use 'zal' instead of 'gaat'?

Using zal is a common way to form the future tense in Dutch, especially in more formal or written contexts. You could also say Hij gaat de koelkast uitzetten voordat hij vertrekt, which is more informal and conversational. Both forms are correct, but zal can sound slightly more formal or certain.

What is the function of 'voordat' in this sentence?

The word voordat means before and introduces a subordinate clause. It indicates the action that follows (turning off the fridge) happens before the action in the main clause (he departs). Because it introduces a subordinate clause, it affects word order (the verb vertrekt goes to the end of the subordinate clause).

Why is 'de koelkast' placed before 'uitzetten'?

In Dutch, if you’re using the future tense with zal, the order is typically:
• Subject (Hij)
• Auxiliary verb (zal)
• Direct object (de koelkast)
• Main verb (uitzetten)

The main verb usually goes at the end of the clause, but the direct object can precede it. You see a similar pattern with many Dutch sentence structures, especially in simple main clauses.

Can I separate 'uit' from 'uitzetten', saying 'Hij zal de koelkast uit zetten'?

In some cases with separable verbs, you do separate the prefix (e.g., Hij zet de koelkast uit), but when the verb is in the infinitive form after zal, you usually keep it as uitzetten without separation. If you used the present tense (e.g., Hij zet de koelkast uit), then the prefix is separated from the verb stem in the sentence.