Coordinating Conjunctions in Dutch

Coordinating conjunctions are the glue words that connect sentences, clauses, or individual words of equal grammatical weight. In Dutch, the key thing to remember is that coordinating conjunctions do not change the word order of the clause that follows them. This makes them much simpler to use than subordinating conjunctions, which send the verb to the end.

There are five main coordinating conjunctions in Dutch, and you will encounter them in virtually every conversation and text. They are short, common words: en (and), of (or), maar (but), want (because/for), and dus (so/therefore). Mastering these five words allows you to connect your thoughts and build longer, more natural sentences.

Think of coordinating conjunctions as bridges between two independent statements. Each side of the bridge can stand on its own as a complete sentence — the conjunction simply links them together.

Formation / How It Works

The Five Main Coordinating Conjunctions

Dutch	English	Function
en	and	adds information
of	or	gives an alternative
maar	but	introduces contrast
want	because / for	gives a reason
dus	so / therefore	gives a result

Word Order After Coordinating Conjunctions

The crucial rule: after a coordinating conjunction, word order stays exactly the same as in a normal main clause. The verb remains in second position:

Clause 1	Conjunction	Clause 2 (normal word order)
Ik werk vandaag	en	morgen heb ik vrij.
Wil je koffie	of	wil je thee?
Het regent	maar	ik ga toch fietsen.
Ik blijf thuis	want	ik ben ziek.
Het was laat	dus	ik ging naar bed.

Connecting Words and Phrases

Coordinating conjunctions do not only connect clauses — they also connect individual words, phrases, or sentence elements:

Type	Example	Translation
Nouns	brood en kaas	bread and cheese
Adjectives	groot maar goedkoop	big but cheap
Verbs	lezen of schrijven	reading or writing
Phrases	in de tuin of in het park	in the garden or in the park

Want vs. Omdat

Both want and omdat mean "because," but they differ in grammar:

Conjunction	Type	Word order	Example
want	coordinating	normal (verb 2nd)	Ik blijf thuis, want ik ben ziek.
omdat	subordinating	verb-final	Ik blijf thuis omdat ik ziek ben.

At the A1 level, want is easier to use because it does not change the word order.

Examples in Context

Dutch	English	Note
Ik spreek Nederlands en Engels.	I speak Dutch and English.	Connecting nouns
Wil je melk of suiker?	Do you want milk or sugar?	Offering alternatives
Het is koud, maar ik draag geen jas.	It is cold, but I am not wearing a jacket.	Contrast
Ik ga vroeg slapen, want ik ben moe.	I am going to bed early, because I am tired.	Reason
De bus was vol, dus ik heb gelopen.	The bus was full, so I walked.	Result
Jan en Marie wonen in Amsterdam.	Jan and Marie live in Amsterdam.	Connecting subjects
Ik hou van koken, maar niet van afwassen.	I like cooking but not doing dishes.	Partial contrast
Ga je mee of blijf je thuis?	Are you coming along or are you staying home?	Alternative actions
Het regent en het waait.	It is raining and it is windy.	Adding information
Ik wil wel, maar ik kan niet.	I want to, but I cannot.	Contrast

Common Mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
Ik blijf thuis, want ik ziek ben.	Ik blijf thuis, want ik ben ziek.	Want is coordinating — verb stays in 2nd position
Maar ik ga toch. (at start of text)	Use sparingly	Starting a text with maar is informal
Ik wil koffie of ik wil thee.	Ik wil koffie of thee.	No need to repeat the subject and verb
Het regent, en dus ik blijf thuis.	Het regent, dus ik blijf thuis.	Do not stack conjunctions

Practice Tips

• Combine simple sentences. Take two short sentences you already know and connect them with each of the five conjunctions. For example: Ik ben moe + ik ga slapen = Ik ben moe, dus ik ga slapen.
• Practice want vs. omdat. Say the same reason using both words. Notice how the verb position changes with omdat but stays the same with want. This will prepare you for subordinate clauses later.
• Read Dutch aloud. When reading simple Dutch texts, pay attention to the conjunctions. Notice how they connect ideas without disrupting the flow.

Related Concepts

• Basic Word Order
• Subordinating Conjunctions
• Discourse Connectors