Learn Hardcore Dutch: Het is verstandig om de reisverzekering te controleren vóórdat je vertrekt. - It is wise to check the travel insurance before you depart.

In Dutch, when you follow is + adjective (here verstandig) with an infinitive, you introduce that infinitive clause with om. The pattern is:
het is + adjective + om + infinitive
Here, om links verstandig (“sensible”) to the action de reisverzekering te controleren (“to check the travel insurance”). Without om, the sentence would be grammatically incorrect.

Could we drop om and say Het is verstandig de reisverzekering te controleren?

No. After expressions like het is verstandig, het is belangrijk, het is moeilijk etc., Dutch requires om before the infinitive. Dropping it would break the standard structure and sound unnatural to native speakers.

What is the difference between voor and voordat?

voor is a preposition meaning “before” that must be followed by a noun or noun phrase (e.g. voor de reis – “before the trip”).
voordat is a subordinating conjunction meaning “before” that must be followed by a full clause with its own subject and verb (e.g. voordat je vertrekt – “before you leave”).

Why is the verb vertrekt at the end of voordat je vertrekt?

In Dutch subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like voordat, the finite verb goes to the very end. So you put je (the subject) first, then the remaining elements, and finally the verb vertrekt.

If I start the sentence with voordat je vertrekt, do I need to change the word order of the main clause?

Yes. When a subordinate clause comes first, the main clause still follows the V2 (verb-second) rule. For example:
Voordat je vertrekt, is het verstandig om de reisverzekering te controleren.
Notice how is (the finite verb of the main clause) immediately follows the comma.

Why is reisverzekering written as one word?

Dutch loves compound nouns. reis (“travel”) + verzekering (“insurance”) combine into reisverzekering (“travel insurance”). There is no space or hyphen in standard spelling.

Why does the sentence use de reisverzekering instead of je reisverzekering?

Using de reisverzekering makes it a general recommendation (“the travel insurance” as a concept). If you want to be more personal, you can say je reisverzekering (“your travel insurance”). Both are correct; the nuance is general advice vs. addressing the listener’s specific policy.

What does verstandig mean in this context?

verstandig translates to sensible, wise, or prudent. It expresses that doing this action (checking the policy) is a smart choice.

Why might I sometimes see vóórdat with an accent on the ó?

The accent is non‑standard and mainly used pedagogically or to emphasize the prefix vóór- (“before in time”), distinguishing it from voor dat (“in front of that”). In everyday writing, you’ll almost always use voordat without an accent.

Can I replace je with uw to make the sentence more formal?

Yes. To address someone formally, change both pronouns:
Het is verstandig om uw reisverzekering te controleren voordat u vertrekt.
Here uw is the formal possessive (“your”) and u is the formal subject pronoun in the subordinate clause.