---
title: "Conditions without als: Mocht je vragen hebben"
level: C1
chapter: "Style and register"
canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/conditionals-without-als
updated: 2026-10-09
author: Dutch Fluency
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
---

# Conditions without als: Mocht je vragen hebben

Dutch can drop _als_ and open a condition with the verb instead: _Heb je vragen, bel me dan_ means "If you have questions, call me". For a polite "should you", the standard choice is _mocht_: _Mocht u vragen hebben, neem dan contact met ons op_. You will meet it in emails from employers, schools, landlords and the _gemeente_ (the municipality).

## The pattern

> To say "if" without _als_, put the conjugated verb (the form that matches the subject) first, followed by the subject (who or what the sentence is about). The main clause usually picks it up with _dan_ ("then").

- Present tense for real conditions: _als je tijd hebt_ becomes _heb je tijd_.
- Past perfect (the "had done" tense) for things that did not happen: _als ik het had geweten_ becomes _had ik het geweten_, with the meaning you know from [If only: Als ik het had geweten](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/unreal-past).
- _Mocht_ with a singular subject, _mochten_ with a plural one, plus an infinitive (the dictionary form, like _hebben_) at the end: _Mocht u vragen hebben_, _Mochten er vragen zijn_.
- If _dan_ opens the main clause, the verb comes straight after it: _dan kunt u bellen_. An imperative (command form) stays at the front instead, with _dan_ after it: _neem dan contact op_.
- Add _maar_ and drop the main clause, and you have a wish: _Had ik het maar geweten_. More in [Wishes with maar](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/wishes-with-maar).

## Examples

| **Heb je** zaterdag tijd, **dan** kunnen we Sanne helpen met verhuizen. | If you have time on Saturday, we can help Sanne move house. |
| **Mocht u** onverhoopt verhinderd zijn, laat het ons **dan** uiterlijk vrijdag weten. | Should you unexpectedly be unable to come, please let us know by Friday at the latest. |
| **Mochten er** na het lezen van deze brief nog vragen zijn, **dan** kunt u contact opnemen met de afdeling Burgerzaken. | Should any questions remain after reading this letter, you can contact the Civil Affairs department. |
| **Houden** de klachten langer dan een week **aan**, neem **dan** contact op met uw huisarts. | If the symptoms last longer than a week, contact your GP. |
| **Mocht** mijn trein vertraging **hebben**, **dan** app ik je even. | If my train happens to be delayed, I'll send you a quick message. |
| **Had ik** geweten dat er geen treinen reden, **dan was ik** met de fiets gegaan. | Had I known there were no trains running, I would have cycled. |
| **Was** Daan niet zo koppig **geweest**, **dan** stonden we nu niet in de file. | If Daan hadn't been so stubborn, we wouldn't be stuck in traffic now. |
| **Had ik** dat **maar** eerder geweten! | If only I had known that sooner! |
| **Was ik maar** thuisgebleven. | If only I had stayed at home. |

## Why it works this way

A verb-first condition has the shape of a [yes or no question](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/yes-no-questions). Picture two lines in a chat: _Heb je vragen? Bel me dan._ Swap the question mark for a comma and the question becomes a condition, with _dan_ as its answer.

Remember: a verb-first condition is a question that answers itself. _Heb ik zondag tijd?_ only wonders; _Heb ik zondag tijd, dan help ik je met de tuin_ makes a promise.

Formal English does this in a few fixed phrases, such as "had I known" and "should you need anything". Dutch uses the pattern much more freely, in the present tense and in everyday speech too.

_Mocht_ is the past form of _mogen_, but in a condition it has nothing to do with permission or the past: _Mocht het morgen regenen_ is about tomorrow. The past form adds distance, much like English "should": possible, but not something you expect. That polite distance is why it closes so many [Dutch emails](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/emails-and-letters). Compare:

- _Als u vragen heeft, kunt u bellen._ (neutral)
- _Mocht u vragen hebben, dan kunt u bellen._ (just in case: politer and a little more formal)
- _Mocht u daar parkeren?_ (a real question: were you allowed to park there?)

German speakers can map "Sollten Sie Fragen haben" onto _Mocht u vragen hebben_. In Belgium you will also see _moest_ in this sense; in the Netherlands, use _mocht_.

## Watch out

- Not: _Mocht u vragen hebben, dan neem contact met ons op._ Say: _Mocht u vragen hebben, neem dan contact met ons op._ (an imperative stays first, so _dan_ follows it)
- Not: _Mocht u vragen hebben, dan u kunt ons bellen._ Say: _Mocht u vragen hebben, dan kunt u ons bellen._ (after _dan_ the verb comes before the subject)
- Not: _Mocht er nog vragen zijn, dan horen wij dat graag._ Say: _Mochten er nog vragen zijn, dan horen wij dat graag._ (the subject is _vragen_, so the verb is plural)
- Not: _Had ik geweten, dan was ik eerder vertrokken._ Say: _Had ik het geweten, dan was ik eerder vertrokken._ (unlike English known, _weten_ needs an object such as _het_)

## Quick check

1. Choose _mocht_ or _mochten_: _... er problemen zijn met uw bestelling, dan horen wij dat graag._
2. Fill in one word: _... ik je adres gehad, dan had ik je een kaart gestuurd voor je verjaardag._
3. Fix the word order: _Mocht de lift het niet doen, dan u moet de trap nemen._
4. Condition or permission? _Mocht Bas gisteren eerder naar huis?_

## Answers

1. _Mochten_: the subject is _problemen_, which is plural.
2. _Had_: a verb-first past perfect for something that did not happen.
3. _Mocht de lift het niet doen, dan moet u de trap nemen._ After _dan_ the verb comes before the subject.
4. Permission: it is a question with no main clause, so it means "Was Bas allowed to go home early yesterday?"

## Use it today

In your next email to a colleague, your landlord or the _gemeente_, end with a _mocht_ sentence of your own, for example _Mocht het dinsdag niet uitkomen, laat het me dan even weten._ Then plan your weekend aloud in verb-first form: _Is het zaterdag droog, dan ..._

## Questions learners ask

**What does "mocht u vragen hebben" mean in Dutch?**

It means "should you have any questions". Mocht is the past form of mogen, but here it does not mean "was allowed": it introduces a polite condition that may or may not happen, and it is a standard closing line in Dutch emails and letters.

**How do you say "if" in Dutch without using als?**

Put the conjugated verb at the start of the clause and follow up with dan: "Heb je tijd, dan bellen we" means "If you have time, we'll call". For situations that did not happen, start with had or was: "Had ik het geweten, dan was ik gekomen."

**Is it "mocht er vragen zijn" or "mochten er vragen zijn"?**

Mochten, because the subject is vragen, which is plural: "Mochten er nog vragen zijn, dan horen wij dat graag." Use mocht with a singular subject, as in "Mocht u vragen hebben."

From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.