Dutch word order is a headache to many of my Dutch students. What about this sentence:
Wrong, right? In the beautiful Dutch language, that’s just ‘normal’ word order:
So, let’s learn more about this sentence and basic Dutch word order. If you prefer video to walk you through this, here it is. The examples in the video are the same as the ones from this article:
Let’s start easy: most sentences are just like English sentences: a subject (who or what is doing the action in the sentence) and a verb.
What about questions? Questions will put the verb first, and then the subject… It’s called inversion. Plus, don’t use a ‘do’ to ask a question.
Luckily, if you add some words at the end of these sentences, it’s just like in English, so relax.
Let’s add some more words, at the end of these sentences.
Remember the inversion? The verb and the subject are ‘inverted.’ Used with questions, but also when you start a sentence with one or more words, typically time and place. Note the verbs and subjects are inverted:
You can’t have both time and place at the beginning of the sentence. Words like of course, actually and others also will use inversion.
Let’s talk about modal verbs like ‘must’, ‘want’ and others. An example:
Same as in English, but if you add more words, it will be in front of the second verb. Notice the word tomorrow is in front of to work. Put these words there.
Again, if you put something first in the sentence, inversion will happen.
Same so for questions. Note the second verb stays at the end.
The verbs remain at the end if you add a place here.
Actually, one could put place and time at the end.
But this does not apply to objects (what is being done, in this case the shopping) in sentences. You can’t put the shopping at the end in the following sentence.
It’s always ok to put everything in front of the second verb. So take the habit to put them there.
Second verbs can also be past participles.
So, if there are other words, put them in front of the second verb.
Let’s start with the negative, which is also explained in my grammar book for beginners – and has exercises! The ‘not’ is at the end, unlike in English. Don’t use ‘don’t.’
Same so for questions:
Note ‘geen’ is used in front of undetermined nouns.
But what about if you use modal verbs? Which one goes at the end, niet or the second verb? The second verb.
Same so for the past tense.
If you’re into the negative, check out this video:
Recap: subject + verb is the normal sentence structure, inversion switches verb and subject (with questions and if you put time/place/something else in front), put second verbs at the end and niet just in front of them.
Let’s start with subordinate clauses, the sentence that isn’t the main sentence. Note in Dutch, there’s always a word introducing that sentence (called a conjunction), unlike in English:
Take a look at the next sentence:
The verb goes at the end! This is called the catapult or the ‘bijzin’, which means sub-clause in Dutch. Note the verb always goes at the end in sub-clauses:
What about sub-clauses with second verbs, like modal verbs? And questions? Both verbs go at the end:
The negative can be put in both the main clause and the sub-clause:
A bit of a recap: with 2 verbs, both go at the end of the sentence in a sub-ordinate clause, also with questions.
If you start a sentence with a question, inversion will be used in the second sentence. Note the main sentence will keep the first verb at the start of the sentence, and the second one at the end.
More about conjunctions in this video.
Let’s look at the Dutch sentence structure of the reflexive verbs. This reflexive part ‘me’ will always be just after the first verb.
Only if there’s a sub-clause, the me will be just after the subject:
Let’s learn about in order to, om te. It’s just like in English, the verb goes at the end. Its form is the infinitive, like ‘to work’:
However, other words will be put in between the om and the te, including the reflexive parts:
More than one infinitive will also be put at the end:
More about om te both in my grammar book and in this video.
And what about separable verbs? These verbs sometimes separate, but not in the infinitive:
In the present tense, they do split up. This little part goes at the end.
Also in questions:
In the past tense, the second part will be at the end:
In the sub-clauses, they’re pasted together.
With om te, this separable part will be in front of the te.
More about separable verbs here.
Let’s get back at the sentence of the beginning. Tomorrow is with inversion, that is with catapult so both verbs go at the end, in between om and te there’s the rest of the words, while uses the catapult too:
Great! Take a look at my book for intermediate Dutch Grammar to do some exercises!
