indien

If (Formal)

Level 3

Indien is the formal sibling of als. It is used in legal, professional, and official writing to express a strict condition ('if').

How It Works

The word indien is a staple of Level 3 (B1) Dutch, marking the transition from conversational to professional language. While you will rarely hear it in a café, you will see it in every contract, manual, and government letter.

1. Syntax and Word Order
As a subordinating conjunction, indien changes the structure of the sentence:

  • The Subordinate Clause: The finite verb moves to the very end.
  • The Main Clause: If the indien-clause comes first, the main clause must use inversion (Verb + Subject).
  • Resumptive 'dan': It is very common in formal Dutch to start the main clause with dan (then) to clearly separate the condition from the result.

2. Register and Usage
Use indien when you want to sound precise and professional. It is preferred in formal contexts because it eliminates the ambiguity of als (which can sometimes be confused with 'when'). However, avoid using it in casual speech, as it sounds unnaturally stiff.

3. Strict Conditionality
Only use indien for things that might happen. If an event is guaranteed to happen (like 'when I get home tonight'), use wanneer or als instead.

Examples (4)

  1. Indien u vragen heeft, kunt u contact met ons opnemen.

    If you have questions, you can contact us.

    Word by Word: If you questions have, can you contact with us take-up.

    A standard formal sentence. Note the verb 'heeft' at the end of the first clause and the inversion 'kunt u' in the second.

  2. Indien de betaling niet binnen zeven dagen is ontvangen, volgt een boete.

    In the event that the payment is not received within seven days, a fine will follow.

    Word by Word: If the payment not within seven days is received, follows a fine.

    Commonly found in official reminders or terms and conditions.

  3. Indien gewenst, sturen wij u een kopie van het rapport.

    If desired, we will send you a copy of the report.

    Word by Word: If desired, send we you a copy of the report.

    'Indien gewenst' is a fixed formal expression where the subject and verb are implied.

  4. Indien het regent, zal de wedstrijd worden afgelast.

    If it rains, the match will be cancelled.

    Word by Word: If it rains, shall the match be cancelled.

    This specifies a condition. If the rain is a certainty, 'wanneer' would be used instead.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a formal word with friends.

    Different MeaningIndien je zin hebt, gaan we een biertje drinken.
    Als je zin hebt, gaan we een biertje drinken.

    Using 'indien' with friends sounds robotic or overly dramatic. Stick to 'als' for daily life.

  • Using 'indien' to mean 'whether' in indirect questions.

    Ik weet niet indien hij komt.
    Ik weet niet of hij komt.

    For 'whether', you must use 'of'. 'Indien' only works for 'if' as a condition.

  • Incorrect word order in the main clause.

    Indien het regent, we blijven binnen.
    Indien het regent, blijven we binnen.

    When the 'indien'-clause starts the sentence, the main clause must start with the verb (inversion).

How It Connects

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indienLevel 3If (Formal)

Learn This First

To use 'indien' correctly, you must understand how Dutch subordinate clauses are structured (verb-final order). Since 'indien' is a formal version of 'als', you should already be comfortable with basic conditional sentences and the formal register of the language.

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Words in This Pattern

indien