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Breakdown of Als de wind sterk is, sluit ik het raam.
ik
I
zijn
to be
als
if
het raam
the window
sluiten
to close
sterk
strong
de wind
the wind
Questions & Answers about Als de wind sterk is, sluit ik het raam.
What does the word als mean here? Is it if or when?
In Dutch als can mean both if and when, depending on context. In this sentence it functions as if, introducing a condition: “If the wind is strong, I close the window.” For a purely temporal “when” you might use wanneer, but als is the standard choice in conditional clauses.
Why is the verb is at the very end of the clause Als de wind sterk is?
Dutch subordinate clauses—those introduced by conjunctions like als, omdat, dat, etc.—place the finite verb at the end. That’s why you get subject (de wind) + complement (sterk) + verb (is) in Als de wind sterk is.
Why is sluit before ik in sluit ik het raam instead of ik sluit?
When a subordinate clause comes first, the main clause follows and must obey the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb takes the second position. The entire subordinate clause counts as position one, so in the main clause sluit moves to slot two, and ik follows: sluit ik het raam.
Why is the adjective sterk not sterke?
After the verb zijn (to be), the adjective is predicative and remains uninflected. Only attributive adjectives (those immediately before a noun with a definite article or in the plural) take an -e. Here sterk describes de wind via zijn, so no -e is added.
Why does it say het raam and not de raam?
Dutch nouns are either common (taking de) or neuter (taking het). Raam (“window”) is neuter, so it uses het. You’ll need to learn the gender of each noun or check a dictionary.
Why is the present tense used in both clauses? Isn’t the action in the future?
Both English and Dutch use the simple present for habitual actions or general truths. Here it means “Whenever the wind is strong, I habitually close the window.” If you wanted to emphasize a single future event, you could use zal (will) in both clauses, but that’s unnecessary for regular occurrences.
How do you pronounce sluit and the ui combination?
Sluit is pronounced [slœyt], with the Dutch diphthong ui (somewhat like the French “œil,” but more closed) and a clear final t. Practice this by rounding your lips slightly and moving from an œ to an y sound.
Can I reverse the order and say Ik sluit het raam als de wind sterk is? Do I still need a comma?
Yes. When the main clause comes first, no inversion is needed: Ik sluit het raam als de wind sterk is. In that order you typically omit the comma, although adding one isn’t strictly wrong if it makes the sentence clearer.
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