Comprimeer documenten voordat je ze stuurt.

you

Breakdown of Comprimeer documenten voordat je ze stuurt.

• voordat: before
• sturen: to send
• ze: them

Questions & Answers about Comprimeer documenten voordat je ze stuurt.

What does comprimeer mean, and why is this the form used here?

Comprimeer is the imperative form of the verb comprimeren (“to compress”). In Dutch you form a command by using the verb stem. The present tense is jij comprimeert, but you drop the –t to get comprimeer when giving a direct instruction. This one form works for both singular and plural “you” (except formal “u,” which can take comprimeert u but is less common).

Why doesn’t comprimeer end in –t, unlike comprimeert in the present tense?

In Dutch, imperatives generally use the verb stem, not the full present-tense form. You remove the –t from comprimeert to make the command comprimeer.

Could I say comprimeert as a command if speaking formally to u?

Yes—if you want to be very formal you can address u with Comprimeert u de documenten alstublieft. In everyday Dutch, however, people usually stick to the stem (comprimeer) and add alstublieft or alsjeblieft to be polite.

What role does voordat play in the sentence?

Voordat is a subordinating conjunction meaning “before” (temporal). It introduces a dependent clause and forces the finite verb of that clause to the end.

Why is the verb stuurt placed at the end after ?