Ik ga naar school, tenzij het regent.

I go to school unless it rains.

Breakdown of Ik ga naar school, tenzij het regent.

• ik: I
• gaan: to go
• naar: to
• de school: the school
• het: it
• regenen: to rain
• tenzij: unless

Questions & Answers about Ik ga naar school, tenzij het regent.

What does tenzij mean in this sentence?

Tenzij translates to "unless" in English. It introduces a condition that prevents the main action—in this case, going to school—if the condition (it raining) is met.

Why is there a comma before tenzij in the sentence?

Dutch punctuation rules require a comma before subordinate clauses that begin with conjunctions like tenzij. The comma separates the main clause "Ik ga naar school" from the conditional clause "tenzij het regent," clarifying the sentence structure.

Why is the verb regent placed at the end of the subordinate clause?

In Dutch subordinate clauses, the finite verb usually appears at the end of the clause. Here, "regent" (from "regenen") comes after the subject "het," following this standard word order.

What is the meaning of the main clause "Ik ga naar school" and why is it structured this way?

The main clause "Ik ga naar school" means "I am going to school" or "I go to school." It follows the typical Dutch sentence order (subject-verb-object) where "ik" is the subject, "ga" is the verb, and "naar school" indicates the destination, with "naar" being the preposition for direction.

Why does the sentence use "naar school" instead of "naar de school" or "naar het school"?

In Dutch, when referring to institutions like school in a general sense, the article is often omitted. "Naar school" is understood as going to school in general, not a specific school, much like the English expression "go to school."

What tense are the verbs ga and regent in, and why are they in that tense?

Both "ga" (from "gaan") and "regent" (from "regenen") are in the present tense. This indicates that the statement is either describing a habitual action or a general condition that applies at the present time.

Can this sentence be rephrased to express the same meaning using different words?

Yes, an alternative phrasing could be "Ik ga naar school, als het niet regent," which translates to "I go to school if it is not raining." However, "tenzij" is a more direct way to express the idea of "unless."