Learn Hardcore Dutch: Het hotel zegt dat annuleren alleen mogelijk is onder deze voorwaarde. - The hotel says that cancellation is only possible under this condition.

In Dutch you can use an infinitive as a nominal subject without te or an article, just like an English gerund. Think of annuleren here as “cancelling” in “Cancelling is only possible…,” so no te or het is needed.

Why does the verb is appear at the end of the subordinate clause?

Subordinate clauses introduced by dat follow V-final word order: the finite verb goes to the very end. So in dat annuleren alleen mogelijk is, is must close the clause.

Why is alleen placed directly before mogelijk, and not elsewhere in the sentence?

Alleen modifies the adjective mogelijk, so it typically sits right before the word it qualifies. Placing it directly before mogelijk clearly expresses “only possible.”

Why do we use onder in onder deze voorwaarde, rather than op or binnen?

The fixed Dutch expression for “subject to the condition that” is onder (de) voorwaarde (dat). Op would suggest a physical “on top of,” and binnen means “within” in a spatial or temporal sense. Only onder voorwaarde dat conveys the conditional/legal nuance.

Could I use mits instead of onder deze voorwaarde?

Yes. Mits means “provided that” and introduces a condition directly. You’d say:
Het hotel zegt dat annuleren alleen mogelijk is mits u aan deze voorwaarde voldoet.
Here mits u aan deze voorwaarde voldoet replaces onder deze voorwaarde + clause.

Could I rephrase the clause as het is mogelijk om te annuleren instead of annuleren mogelijk is?

Absolutely. Dutch offers two common patterns:
• Infinitive as subject: annuleren ... mogelijk is
• Dummy subject het + is mogelijk om te + infinitive
Both mean the same; the second is a bit more explicit.

Why is deze used instead of dit before voorwaarde?

Voorwaarde is a de-woord (common gender), so it pairs with deze. You would use dit only with het-woorden (neuter nouns).