Learn Hardcore Dutch: Als de postbode te laat is, zet hij het pakket bij de buren neer. - If the mail carrier is late, he puts the package down at the neighbours.

In this context als means “if”, introducing a conditional clause: If the postman is too late…. You can sometimes use wanneer to mean “when” for repeated events, but for a clear condition you stick with als. Using wanneer here would shift the nuance toward timing (“whenever”) rather than a one-time condition.

Why is the verb zet placed before the subject hij in the second part?

Because the sentence begins with a subordinate clause (the als-clause). In Dutch, when a subordinate clause comes first, the main clause that follows must invert the finite verb and subject. So you get zet hij instead of hij zet.

What is te laat, and how is it formed?

te laat literally means “too late.” You form it by putting te (meaning “too”) before an adjective or adverb, here laat (“late”).

Why is neer at the end of the sentence?

The verb here is the separable verb neerzetten (“to put down/to leave”). In main clauses, the prefix neer detaches and moves to the end:

– Infinitive: neerzetten
– Present tense main clause: zet … neer

What does bij de buren neerzetten mean exactly?

bij de buren means “at/by the neighbors.” The preposition bij indicates location at someone’s place. So bij de buren neerzetten = “to leave (the package) at the neighbors’ house.”

Why het pakket and not de pakket?

Dutch nouns are either de-words (common gender) or het-words (neuter). pakket is neuter, so it takes het. This is a lexical property you need to learn for each noun.

Could you drop the subject pronoun hij here?

No. Dutch generally requires an explicit subject in finite clauses. You cannot omit hij; you must keep it: zet hij … hij refers back to de postbode.