Breakdown of Als zij blijft hoesten, belt zij de huisarts.
zij
she
als
if
blijven
to keep
bellen
to call
hoesten
to cough
de huisarts
the family doctor
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Questions & Answers about Als zij blijft hoesten, belt zij de huisarts.
Why does the verb go to the end in the first clause?
Because als introduces a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the verbs go to the end. With semi-auxiliaries like blijven, the verb cluster stays together at the end: Als zij blijft hoesten (finite verb + infinitive at the end).
Why is it belt zij and not zij belt after the comma?
When a sentence starts with a subordinate clause, the main clause that follows uses inversion: the finite verb comes before the subject. Hence: Als zij blijft hoesten, belt zij de huisarts. If the main clause comes first, you use normal V2 order: Zij belt de huisarts als zij blijft hoesten.
Can I use ze instead of zij?
Yes. Zij is the stressed form; ze is the unstressed everyday form. Both are fine here: Als ze blijft hoesten, belt ze de huisarts. After inversion, belt ze is also perfectly natural.
Does the present tense here mean the future? Should I use zal?
Dutch often uses the present for future meaning in conditional sentences. Als zij blijft hoesten, belt zij de huisarts = “If she keeps coughing, she’ll call the GP.” You may add zal to make the future explicit: Als zij blijft hoesten, zal zij de huisarts bellen, but it’s not required.
What’s the difference between als, wanneer, and indien?
- als: most common; means “if/when,” both conditional and temporal.
- wanneer: mainly “when” (temporal). As “if,” it sounds marked and is less common.
- indien: formal “if,” used in writing or official contexts.
Here, als is the natural choice.
Does zij here mean “she” or “they”?
“She.” Agreement shows it: blijft (singular). For “they,” you’d have zij blijven hoesten and zij bellen (plural verb forms).
Why is it blijft hoesten and not just hoest?
blijven + infinitive means “to keep on doing” something. blijft hoesten = “keeps coughing,” emphasizing continuation. Using just hoest would mean “coughs (at all/once),” which is a different nuance: Als zij hoest, belt zij de huisarts = “If she coughs, she calls…”
Do I need te with blijven? Is blijft te hoesten correct?
No. blijven takes a bare infinitive: blijft hoesten, not blijft te hoesten. Verbs that do take te include, for example, proberen te (to try to), beloven te (to promise to).
Is the comma after the first clause required?
Yes, it’s standard to put a comma after an initial subordinate clause: Als … , …. When the main clause comes first, a comma before the following subordinate clause is usually omitted: Zij belt de huisarts als zij blijft hoesten.
What exactly is a huisarts? Is dokter okay?
A huisarts is a general practitioner/family doctor (GP). dokter is common in speech, especially in Belgium, but in the Netherlands (de) huisarts is the normal term for your GP. In writing, huisarts is precise.
Why is it de huisarts and not het huisarts?
Because huisarts is a de-word (common gender). So: de huisarts, een huisarts.
Why is it bellen with double L but belt with one L?
Stem: bel.
- With the infinitive ending -en, you write bellen to keep the vowel short (the double consonant protects the short vowel).
- With the 3rd person singular -t, you get belt (the syllable stays closed, so no need to double the L).
Should I say iemand bellen, bellen naar iemand, or bellen met iemand?
- Netherlands: the standard is a direct object: iemand bellen (“call someone”).
- Belgium: bellen naar iemand is very common.
- bellen met iemand = “to be on the phone with someone” (having the conversation), not necessarily placing the call.
Can I add dan in the main clause?
Yes. Als …, dan … is very natural and highlights the consequence: Als zij blijft hoesten, dan belt zij de huisarts. It’s optional.
What changes if the main clause comes first?
You use normal main-clause word order (verb in second position, no inversion trigger from before): Zij belt de huisarts als zij blijft hoesten. With the subject first, it’s zij belt (or ze belt), not belt zij.
How would I say this in the past?
- Habitual/whenever in the past: Als zij bleef hoesten, belde zij de huisarts.
- Hypothetical (would): Als zij zou blijven hoesten, zou zij de huisarts bellen.