Breakdown of Ik zet de printer aan voordat ik de brief print.
ik
I
voordat
before
aanzetten
to turn on
de brief
the letter
printen
to print
de printer
the printer
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Questions & Answers about Ik zet de printer aan voordat ik de brief print.
Why is aan at the end of the main clause instead of next to zet?
Because aanzetten is a separable verb in Dutch. In main clauses you split it into the verb stem zet (second position) and the particle aan at the end. So Ik zet de printer aan literally shows zet … aan, even though in English you’d say “I turn on the printer” without splitting.
Why does the verb print appear at the end of the clause after voordat?
Voordat is a subordinating conjunction (“before”). In Dutch subordinate clauses the finite verb goes to the very end. That’s why you see voordat ik de brief print rather than voordat ik print de brief.
Why isn’t there a te before print in the subordinate clause?
The te-infinitive is only used in infinitive clauses (e.g. om te printen “in order to print”). Here voordat introduces a finite (conjugated) verb form, so you don’t add te—you simply place print at the end.
Could we use nadat instead of voordat, and what would change?
Nadat means “after,” so the time relation reverses. You’d say:
- Nadat ik de printer heb aangezet, print ik de brief.
Notice you must use the perfect (heb aangezet) because with nadat referring to a completed action before another, Dutch often requires the perfect tense in the subordinate clause. Also the verb still goes to the end in that clause.
Why is the present tense used instead of a past tense (like “I turned on”)?
Dutch frequently uses the simple present to describe sequences of events, especially when instructions or habitual actions are involved. Even though in English you might say “I turned on the printer before I printed the letter,” in Dutch Ik zet … aan voordat ik … print is perfectly natural for a sequence.
What’s the difference between printen and afdrukken?
Printen is a direct loan from English and very common in everyday speech. Afdrukken is the native Dutch equivalent. You could easily say:
- Ik druk de brief af voordat ik de printer aanzet.
Both are correct; afdrukken might sound slightly more formal.
Why do we use de printer and de brief instead of het?
Dutch nouns are either de-words or het-words. Most nouns ending in -er (like printer) take de, and brief is also simply a de-word you have to memorize. There isn’t a general rule for every noun, so it’s best to learn them with their article.
Can I start with the subordinate clause instead?
Yes. If you put voordat-clause first, maintain verb-final there and invert your main clause normally (V2):
- Voordat ik de brief print, zet ik de printer aan.
Remember the comma and that the main clause still has its verb in second position.