Question 1

Why is the verb is placed at the end of the clause Wanneer het apparaat stuk is?

Accepted Answer

In Dutch, subordinate clauses introduced by a conjunction like wanneer follow the Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) order, so the finite verb moves to the very end. Here the structure is: subject (het apparaat), predicate adjective (stuk), then verb (is).

Question 2

When should you use wanneer versus als for the English word “when”?

Accepted Answer

Both can mean “when,” but:  
• wanneer is used for time clauses (and in questions) referring to specific moments or future events.  
• als is more common for general conditions or repeated situations (and also means “if”).  
In your sentence you’re describing a moment in time (“when the device is broken”), so wanneer fits perfectly.

Question 3

Why do we say stuk zijn? Can I use kapot zijn instead?

Accepted Answer

Yes, kapot zijn and stuk zijn both mean “to be broken.”  
• stuk zijn is slightly more neutral/formal.  
• kapot zijn is very common in spoken Dutch and informal writing.  
Either is grammatically correct here.

Question 4

Why is there a comma after Wanneer het apparaat stuk is?

Accepted Answer

In Dutch you separate an initial subordinate clause from the following main clause with a comma. Since Wanneer het apparaat stuk is comes first, it gets a trailing comma before the main clause kun je niet contactloos betalen.

Question 5

Why does the main clause start with kun je (verb–subject) instead of je kunt (subject–verb)?

Accepted Answer

After a leading subordinate clause (or any element that isn’t the subject), Dutch main clauses use inversion: the finite verb comes in second position. Because the sentence starts with the time-clause, the main clause’s first position is taken, so you invert and write kun je.

Question 6

Why is niet placed before contactloos betalen? Could it go elsewhere?

Accepted Answer

The adverb niet generally precedes the part of the sentence it negates. Here you’re negating the action contactloos betalen, so niet comes directly before that verb phrase. If you placed niet elsewhere (e.g. before kun je), it would change the nuance or sound unidiomatic.

Question 7

What exactly is contactloos betalen?

Accepted Answer

contactloos is an adverb meaning “without physical contact” (from contact + -loos, “-less”). betalen is the infinitive “to pay.” Together they form a verb phrase meaning “to pay contactlessly” (e.g. by tapping your card or phone).

Question 8

Can I reorder this sentence to sound more natural in casual speech?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A common alternative is:  
Je kunt niet contactloos betalen als het apparaat stuk is.  
Here you start with the main clause (no comma needed) and end with the subordinate clause. The meaning remains exactly the same.

Question 9

Why isn’t there a dat after wanneer (as in “wanneer dat het apparaat…”)?

Accepted Answer

In Dutch you never add dat after wanneer in a time clause. wanneer itself is the subordinating conjunction, so inserting dat would be redundant and ungrammatical.

Wanneer het apparaat stuk is, kun je niet contactloos betalen.

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