Subordinating Conjunctions in Dutch

In Brief

A Dutch subordinating conjunction introduces a subordinate clause (a group of words that depends on another clause) and normally sends its verb or verbs to the end: Ik blijf thuis omdat het regent. If the subordinate clause comes first, the following main clause begins with its verb: Omdat het regent, blijf ik thuis.

Overview

Words such as dat (that), omdat (because), als (if/when), and hoewel (although) connect ideas while making one idea dependent on another. The dependent part is called a bijzin, or subordinate clause. These conjunctions tell the listener how that clause relates to the rest of the sentence: as a reason, condition, time, contrast, or result.

This topic is introduced at A2 because it lets you move beyond short statements and explain why, when, or under what conditions something happens. The conjunction itself is often easy to translate. The main challenge is Dutch word order: English keeps ordinary subject–verb order after most conjunctions, but Dutch places the finite verb (the verb marked for tense and person) near the end of a subordinate clause.

The beginner rule is simple: conjunction + subject + other information + verb(s). That rule will produce good everyday Dutch. Longer verb groups have some additional flexibility, covered separately under “Beyond the Basics.”

How It Works

The basic word-order pattern

Compare a main clause with the same idea inside a subordinate clause:

Dutch	English	Note
Het regent vandaag.	It is raining today.	Main clause: the finite verb is in second position.
omdat het vandaag regent	because it is raining today	Subordinate clause: the finite verb moves to the end.
Zij werkt morgen thuis.	She is working from home tomorrow.	Main-clause order.
dat zij morgen thuis werkt	that she is working from home tomorrow	Dat introduces a subordinate clause.

A useful building pattern is:

subordinating conjunction + subject + objects/time/place + verb(s)

• omdat + ik + vandaag thuis + werk
• voordat + we + naar buiten + gaan
• dat + hij + het boek + heeft gelezen

“Verb-final” does not always mean that one verb is literally the final word. A separable verb stays together at the end: omdat ik vroeg opsta. A fixed element may also follow the verb in some constructions. For A2 production, however, putting the verbal group at the end is the safest guide.

The core conjunctions

Conjunction	Main meaning	Relationship	Example
dat	that	content of a thought, statement, or report	Ik weet dat hij thuis is.
omdat	because	reason or cause	Ik ga weg omdat ik moe ben.
als	if; when	condition or repeated/general time	Als ik tijd heb, kom ik.
wanneer	when	time; sometimes a more explicit condition	Bel me wanneer je aankomt.
hoewel	although	unexpected contrast	Hoewel het laat is, blijft ze.
voordat	before	earlier event	Was je handen voordat je eet.
nadat	after	later event viewed from an earlier event	Nadat we aten, gingen we wandelen.
terwijl	while; whereas	simultaneous events or contrast	Hij kookt terwijl ik de tafel dek.
zodat	so that; with the result that	purpose or result	Praat langzaam zodat ik je begrijp.

Putting the subordinate clause second

The easiest pattern keeps the main clause first:

main clause + conjunction + subordinate clause

Ik neem een jas mee omdat het koud is.

“I’m taking a coat because it is cold.”

The main clause keeps its normal order. No comma is normally needed before a short subordinate clause in Dutch, though a comma may improve readability when clauses are long.

Putting the subordinate clause first

A subordinate clause may come first to frame the condition, time, reason, or contrast. The entire first clause then fills the first position of the sentence. Dutch main-clause word order requires the finite verb immediately after it:

subordinate clause, + main-clause verb + subject + rest

Omdat het koud is, neem ik een jas mee.

“Because it is cold, I’m taking a coat.”

Notice neem ik, not ik neem. This is called inversion: the subject follows the finite verb because another element occupies the first position. A comma after an opening subordinate clause makes the boundary clear.

One verb, a modal, or a perfect tense

With one verb, that verb goes to the end:

• Ik denk dat Noor morgen komt.
• Hoewel hij ziek is, werkt hij.

With a modal verb such as moeten (must/have to), kunnen (can), or willen (want), both verbs collect at the end:

• omdat ik vroeg moet opstaan
• dat zij goed Nederlands kan spreken

In a perfect tense, the auxiliary and past participle also form a final verb group:

• omdat hij het boek heeft gelezen
• nadat we thuis zijn gekomen

At beginner level, learn these final groups as a unit. Variation within longer verb groups is discussed later.

Choosing between similar conjunctions

Omdat and want

Both can mean “because,” but only omdat is subordinating:

• Ik blijf thuis omdat ik ziek ben.
• Ik blijf thuis, want ik ben ziek.

After want, the second clause is still a main clause, so the finite verb remains in second position. This contrast is one of the best ways to hear the difference between coordination and subordination.

Als and wanneer

Use als freely for conditions and for events that happen whenever a condition is met:

• Als je hulp nodig hebt, bel me. — If you need help, call me.
• Als ik in Utrecht ben, bezoek ik haar. — When(ever) I’m in Utrecht, I visit her.

Wanneer focuses more explicitly on time and is common when asking or stating at what time something happens:

• Weet je wanneer de trein vertrekt? — Do you know when the train leaves?
• Wanneer je klaar bent, kunnen we gaan. — When you’re ready, we can go.

In many future-time contexts, both are possible. Everyday Dutch often prefers als where English uses “when.” Do not assume that wanneer is always the automatic translation of English “when.”

Terwijl for time and contrast

Terwijl may describe two simultaneous events, but it can also contrast two facts:

• Ik lees terwijl zij kookt. — I read while she cooks.
• Hij houdt van drukte, terwijl ik liever rust heb. — He likes bustle, whereas I prefer peace and quiet.

Context tells you whether “while” or “whereas” is the better English translation.

Examples in Context

Dutch	English	Note
Ik blijf thuis omdat het regent.	I’m staying home because it’s raining.	Reason; subordinate clause second.
Omdat de winkel dicht is, komen we morgen terug.	Because the shop is closed, we’ll come back tomorrow.	Opening clause causes komen we inversion.
Ze zegt dat ze vanavond niet kan komen.	She says that she cannot come tonight.	Kan komen forms the final verb group.
Als je komt, bel me dan.	If you come, call me.	Condition; dan is a natural matching word in the main clause.
Wanneer de les begint, zet iedereen zijn telefoon uit.	When the lesson begins, everyone turns off their phone.	Specific time boundary.
Hoewel het koud is, ga ik fietsen.	Although it is cold, I’m going cycling.	The result contrasts with expectation.
Voordat ik ga, moet ik nog eten.	Before I leave, I still have to eat.	The eating happens first.
Nadat we koffie hadden gedronken, gingen we naar huis.	After we had drunk coffee, we went home.	A completed earlier event.
Zij luistert naar muziek terwijl ze werkt.	She listens to music while she works.	Simultaneous actions.
Mijn broer staat vroeg op, terwijl ik graag uitslaap.	My brother gets up early, whereas I like sleeping in.	Contrast rather than time.
Ik schrijf het adres op zodat ik het niet vergeet.	I’m writing down the address so that I don’t forget it.	Intended purpose.
Het had gevroren, zodat de wegen glad waren.	It had frozen, with the result that the roads were slippery.	Actual result.
Weet jij of Sara morgen werkt?	Do you know whether Sara is working tomorrow?	Of also subordinates; it introduces an indirect yes/no question.

Common Mistakes

Keeping English word order after the conjunction

• Wrong: Ik blijf thuis omdat ik ben ziek.
• Right: Ik blijf thuis omdat ik ziek ben.
• Why: After omdat, the finite verb belongs at the end of the subordinate clause. English “because I am ill” does not provide the Dutch word-order model.

Forgetting inversion after an opening subordinate clause

• Wrong: Als je komt, je moet me bellen.
• Right: Als je komt, moet je me bellen.
• Why: The opening subordinate clause occupies the first position. The next clause therefore starts with its finite verb: moet je.

Treating want like omdat

• Wrong: Ik ga slapen, want ik moe ben.
• Right: Ik ga slapen, want ik ben moe.
• Why: Want joins two main clauses and does not send the verb to the end. Use omdat ik moe ben if you want subordinate-clause order.

Dropping dat as English can drop “that”

• Wrong: Ik denk hij thuis is.
• Right: Ik denk dat hij thuis is.
• Why: English often allows “I think he is home,” but standard Dutch normally requires dat before this kind of content clause.

Confusing the event order with voordat and nadat

• Wrong: Nadat ik naar buiten ga, trek ik mijn jas aan. when the coat goes on first.
• Right: Voordat ik naar buiten ga, trek ik mijn jas aan.
• Why: Voordat introduces the event before which something else occurs. Nadat introduces the event after which the main event occurs.

Splitting a separable verb at the end

• Wrong: omdat ik sta vroeg op
• Right: omdat ik vroeg opsta
• Why: In a subordinate clause, the parts of a separable finite verb reunite: opstaan becomes opsta.

Usage Notes

Meaning matters more than one-to-one translation

English “when” may correspond to als, wanneer, or another time expression. English “so” may describe a result, but Dutch zodat specifically introduces a subordinate purpose or result clause. Choose the relationship first—condition, time, reason, contrast, purpose—and then choose the conjunction.

Dat and of in indirect questions

After verbs such as weten (know), vragen (ask), or zich afvragen (wonder), use of for a yes/no possibility and a question word for an open question:

• Ik weet niet of hij komt. — I don’t know whether he is coming.
• Ik weet niet wanneer hij komt. — I don’t know when he is coming.

Both are subordinate clauses, so komt stands at the end. By contrast, dat presents the content as a statement: Ik weet dat hij komt (“I know that he is coming”).

Tense after time conjunctions

Dutch often uses the present tense for a future event when the future meaning is already clear:

Als ik morgen tijd heb, bel ik je.

“If I have time tomorrow, I’ll call you.”

English may use “will” in the main clause, but Dutch does not need zullen simply to make the event future. With nadat, formal teaching examples often use a perfect or past perfect to emphasize that one action was completed first. In natural speech, the context may make the sequence clear without a heavy tense contrast.

Commas

Use a comma after a subordinate clause placed before the main clause: Hoewel het regent, gaan we wandelen. Before a short final subordinate clause, Dutch commonly has no comma: We gaan wandelen hoewel het regent. In long sentences, punctuation can be added for readability, but it does not change the word-order rule.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the details in this section at A2, but you will encounter them as sentences become longer.

Order inside a final verb cluster

A subordinate clause can end in two or more verbs. With modals, the finite verb usually precedes the infinitive in straightforward learner Dutch: dat ik moet werken, omdat zij kan komen. Perfect constructions commonly have heeft gelezen or is vertrokken. In larger clusters, Dutch allows variation, and preferences differ by construction, region, and style. Rather than applying “the finite verb is always the very last word” mechanically, think of the whole verb cluster as occupying the end zone.

Some perfect constructions with a modal use an infinitive where an English-speaking learner might expect a past participle:

Ik weet dat hij heeft moeten werken.

“I know that he had to work.”

This is called the infinitivus pro participio, or replacement infinitive: moeten appears instead of gemoeten. It is a later-stage verb-cluster pattern, not an exception you need in order to form basic clauses.

Purpose versus result with zodat

Zodat can point forward to an intended purpose or report an actual consequence:

• Ik praat zacht zodat de baby kan slapen. — intended purpose
• De stroom viel uit, zodat alles donker werd. — actual consequence

For an especially explicit purpose, Dutch also uses opdat, mainly in formal or written language. In everyday speech, zodat is much more common.

Concession beyond hoewel

Hoewel introduces a fact that might lead you to expect a different result: Hoewel hij moe was, werkte hij door. More formal writing may use ofschoon or alhoewel with the same subordinate word order. Recognizing these is useful, but hoewel is the best productive choice for most learners.

Reduced and nested clauses

Advanced Dutch can place one subordinate clause inside another:

Ik denk dat ze thuisblijft omdat ze ziek is.

“I think that she is staying home because she is ill.”

Each conjunction starts its own clause, and each clause organizes its own verbs at the end. Work from the inside out: omdat ze ziek is sits inside dat ze thuisblijft .... This prepares you for more complex subordinate clauses at B2.

Practice Tips

1. Transform pairs aloud. Start with two main clauses—Ik ben moe. Ik ga naar bed.—then combine them: Ik ga naar bed omdat ik moe ben. This trains the verb movement rather than just memorizing conjunction lists.
2. Practice both clause orders. Say Ik neem de fiets als het droog is, then Als het droog is, neem ik de fiets. Check both the final verb in the subordinate clause and inversion in the following main clause.
3. Color-code the verb cluster. In reading material, underline the conjunction once and every verb in the clause twice. This helps you see kan komen, heeft gelezen, and separable verbs as end-position units.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Subordinate Clause Word Order — explains the verb-final pattern used after every conjunction in this article.
• Next steps: Complex Subordinate Clauses — develops nested clauses, longer verb groups, and more advanced connections between ideas.