Dutch word order: verb second, inversion and omdat
Word order errors are among the most common grammar mistakes in written Dutch. The good news: a few rules cover almost every sentence you will write in the exam.
Rule 1: in a main clause the verb is in second place
In a normal Dutch sentence the conjugated verb is the second element. The first element can be the subject, but also a time, a place or another part of the sentence.
| Dutch | Why |
|---|---|
| Ik werk vandaag thuis. | Subject first, verb second. |
| Vandaag werk ik thuis. | Time first, so the subject moves after the verb. This is called inversion. |
| In het weekend ga ik naar de markt. | "In het weekend" is one element, so the verb still comes second. |
Rule 2: a second verb goes to the end
| Dutch | Why |
|---|---|
| Ik wil morgen de huisarts bellen. | Wil is second, the infinitive bellen goes to the end. |
| Ik heb gisteren boodschappen gedaan. | Heb is second, the past participle gedaan goes to the end. |
Between the verbs you often put time, then manner, then place: Ik wil morgen met de bus naar Utrecht gaan.
Rule 3: after omdat, dat, als… all verbs go to the end
Words like omdat, dat, als, wanneer, terwijl, hoewel, voordat and of (meaning "whether") start a subordinate clause. In that clause all verbs move to the end.
| Dutch | Why |
|---|---|
| Ik kom niet, omdat ik ziek ben. | Omdat sends the verb to the end. |
| Ik denk dat de trein te laat is. | Dat sends the verb to the end. |
| Ik kom niet, omdat ik moet werken. | With two verbs, both go to the end. |
Rule 4: want and omdat mean the same, but the order differs
En, maar, of (meaning "or") and want join two normal sentences. After these words the order does not change.
| Dutch | Why |
|---|---|
| Ik kom niet, want ik ben ziek. | Want: normal order, verb second. |
| Ik kom niet, omdat ik ziek ben. | Omdat: verb at the end. |
Rule 5: subordinate clause first? Then invert
| Dutch | Why |
|---|---|
| Als het regent, blijf ik thuis. | The whole clause "Als het regent" is the first element, so the verb comes right after the comma. |
Practise
Choose an answer and check it. You get an explanation for every question.
1.Welke zin is goed?
Not quite. The correct answer is: Morgen ga ik naar Amsterdam.
Morgen is the first element, so the verb ga must come second, before the subject ik.
2.Welke zin is goed?
Not quite. The correct answer is: Ik wil morgen de huisarts bellen.
The conjugated verb wil is second and the infinitive bellen goes to the end.
3.Ik kom vandaag niet, omdat ik ___.
Not quite. The correct answer is: ziek ben
Omdat starts a subordinate clause, so the verb ben goes to the end.
4.Ik kom vandaag niet, want ik ___.
Not quite. The correct answer is: ben ziek
After want the word order stays normal: the verb ben comes second.
5.Welke zin is goed?
Not quite. The correct answer is: Als ik tijd heb, bel ik je.
The sentence starts with the clause "Als ik tijd heb". That counts as the first element, so the verb bel comes next, before ik.
6.Welke zin is goed?
Not quite. The correct answer is: Ik denk dat de bus te laat is.
Dat starts a subordinate clause, so the verb is goes to the end.
7.Welke vraag is goed?
Not quite. The correct answer is: Hoe laat begint de les?
In a question with a question word, the verb comes right after the question word.
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