Learn Hardcore Dutch: Controleer de factuur goed voordat je betaalt, zodat je geen fout maakt. - Check the invoice carefully before you pay, so you don't make a mistake.

voordat is a subordinating conjunction meaning “before.” In Dutch subordinate clauses introduced by words like voordat, omdat, terwijl, etc., the finite verb moves to the very end of the clause. Hence je betaalt becomes je betaalt at the end.

Why does the sentence start with Controleer, and why isn’t there an explicit subject like je before it?

This is the imperative mood (a command). In Dutch imperatives you use the verb stem (controleer) first and omit the subject, because it’s implicitly “you” (je). The rest of the sentence follows: object, adverb, then subordinate clauses.

Why is it de factuur and not het factuur or just factuur without an article?

In Dutch, factuur is a “de-word” (common gender), so it takes de when definite. You use de factuur because you’re talking about a specific invoice. Without an article (factuur) it would sound like you mean invoices in general, and het factuur is ungrammatical here.

What role does goed play here, and can its position change?

goed is an adverb modifying controleer, meaning “thoroughly” or “well.” In Dutch you can place adverbs either before or after the object. Both of these are correct:

Controleer goed de factuur.
Controleer de factuur goed.
Putting goed after the object is slightly more common in spoken Dutch.

What does zodat indicate, and could I use om te instead?

zodat introduces a purpose or result clause with its own subject and verb (“so that you don’t make a mistake”). You could also use an infinitive construction for purpose: om geen fout te maken, but then you drop the subject and use the infinitive form. Example:

Controleer de factuur goed voordat je betaalt om geen fout te maken.
Both are grammatically correct; zodat just gives you a full clause with je maakt.

Why is it geen fout and not niet fout or geen fouten?

geen is used to negate nouns—here fout (“mistake”), so geen fout means “no mistake.” niet negates verbs or adjectives, not nouns. You could say geen fouten (“no mistakes” in plural), but geen fout (singular) is common when you mean “not making even one mistake.”

Why do we see a –t on betaalt and maakt when the subject is je?

In Dutch present‐tense conjugation, je normally takes the same form as the third person singular (hij/zij), which ends in –t. So you get je betaalt, je maakt. (Only when je follows the verb in inversion or in casual speech do you sometimes drop the –t, but standard writing keeps it.)

Is the comma before zodat mandatory?

The comma before a subordinate conjunction like zodat is not strictly required by Dutch spelling rules, but it’s highly recommended for readability—especially in longer sentences. Omitting it won’t break the grammar, but the comma helps signal the start of a new clause.

How would you make this sentence more formal?

Swap je for u and adjust the possessive/pronouns accordingly:
Controleer uw factuur goed voordat u betaalt, zodat u geen fout maakt.
You use uw instead of je before factuur, and u is the formal subject in both subordinate clauses.

Could I use nadat instead of voordat, and what difference would that make?

No—nadat means “after” rather than “before.” If you said nadat je betaalt, you’d be checking the invoice after you pay, which reverses the intended order. You need voordat (“before”) to tell someone to check first.