Learn Hardcore Dutch: Het brandalarm ging plotseling af, maar gelukkig was er geen brand. - The fire alarm suddenly went off, but fortunately there was no fire.

Afgaan is a separable verb meaning “to go off” (like an alarm). In the past tense, af detaches and moves to the end of the clause: ging (past of gaan) + adverbials + af.

Why is plotseling placed between ging and af?

Dutch word order for separable verbs is: finite verb first (ging), then adverbs or adverbials (plotseling), then the separable prefix at the end (af).

Could I also say Plotseling ging het brandalarm af? How does word order change?

Yes. When plotseling starts the sentence, it occupies the first position. The verb still must be second: Plotseling ging het brandalarm af. The subject het brandalarm follows the verb.

Why is er used in was er geen brand?

Er is a dummy or expletive subject used when the real subject comes later or is indefinite. English uses “there” similarly: “there was no fire.”

What dictates the word order was er geen brand instead of er was geen brand?

Because maar gelukkig is an initial adverbial phrase separated by a comma, the finite verb was must follow it (V2 rule). The rest of the clause then continues: er geen brand.

What does maar gelukkig add to the sentence, and could I drop gelukkig?

Maar means “but”; gelukkig means “fortunately” or “luckily.” Together they contrast the alarm’s false alert with relief. You can drop gelukkig or replace it with another adverb, but you lose that nuance of relief:

With: … maar gelukkig was er geen brand. (Luckily there was no fire.)
Without: … maar er was geen brand. (But there was no fire.)

Can I use the present perfect instead: Het brandalarm is plotseling afgegaan?

Yes. Dutch often uses the perfect for past events: Het brandalarm is plotseling afgegaan, which emphasizes the connection to the present. The simple past ging af is also common in narratives.

Is brandalarm the same as rookmelder, and when do you use each?

A brandalarm is the building’s alarm system that you hear throughout a facility. A rookmelder (smoke detector) is the device on the ceiling that senses smoke. The detector triggers the alarm, but native speakers sometimes use them interchangeably in casual speech.

Why is there a comma before maar gelukkig?

In Dutch, a comma often separates two main clauses or separates an initial adverbial from the rest. Here it marks the contrast between the alarm going off and the good news that no fire occurred.

Why is there no definite article before brandalarm?

In Dutch, you can omit the article when speaking generally or about something already clear from context. Here het brandalarm is definite (“the fire alarm”), but you wouldn’t repeat het if the noun were plural or abstract. If you wanted to emphasize a specific alarm, you could say het brandalarm—which in the example is already the case.