……
Breakdown of Als de bijlage te groot is, comprimeer ik hem eerst.
ik
I
zijn
to be
hem
him
eerst
first
als
if
te
too
groot
large
de bijlage
the attachment
comprimeren
to compress
Questions & Answers about Als de bijlage te groot is, comprimeer ik hem eerst.
What does bijlage mean in this sentence?
Bijlage is a common-gender noun meaning attachment or appendix, typically the file you attach to an email or add to a document.
What is the function of te in te groot?
The particle te in front of an adjective means “too” or “excessively.” So te groot translates as “too large.”
Why is the verb is at the end of Als de bijlage te groot is?
In Dutch subordinate clauses introduced by words like als, the finite verb moves to the end. That’s why is appears after groot rather than in second position.
Why is there no dan after als?
Although Dutch sometimes pairs als … dan (as … then), the dan is optional. When the meaning is clear, you can simply say als de bijlage te groot is without adding dan.
Why does the main clause start with comprimeer instead of ik comprimeer?
Because a subordinate clause (Als …) opens the sentence, the main clause obeys the V2-rule: the finite verb must come first in the main clause, followed by the subject. Hence comprimeer ik rather than ik comprimeer.
Why is the pronoun hem used instead of het?
Dutch personal pronouns for de-words (common gender) use hem. Since bijlage is a de-word, you refer to it as hem, not het.
Why does eerst come after hem (object + adverb), and could I move it elsewhere?
Personal pronouns generally precede adverbs, so hem eerst is the natural order. You can place eerst at the very beginning for emphasis (Eerst comprimeer ik hem), but in this conditional structure it follows the object.
Could you use wanneer instead of als here?
Wanneer often means “when” in a temporal sense. For conditionals (“if”), Dutch speakers prefer als. Using wanneer would sound more like you’re asking “at the moment when” rather than “if”.
How do you conjugate comprimeren in other persons?
Comprimeren is a regular weak verb. Present-tense forms:
- ik comprimeer
- jij comprimeert
- hij/zij comprimeert
- wij/comprimeren
- jullie comprimeren
- zij comprimeren
Notice the -t ending with jij and hij/zij.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Dutch grammar?”
Dutch grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning DutchMaster Dutch — from Als de bijlage te groot is, comprimeer ik hem eerst to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions