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Word Order in Dutch Sentences (An Introduction)

This page is an introduction to word order in Dutch sentences, to help students with conversational Dutch. I am not a grammarian and do not have any aspirations in that order. For elaborate rules you'll have to look elsewhere.
(de) woordvolgorde

2 3 ('word order') - (de) zinsbouw

2 ('sentence structure')

Newer versions of some of the material on this page (but no complete overlap): Lesson 11 - Lesson 13 - Lesson 14 - Lesson 15 - Smartphone

Simple, Very Basic Sentences		Adding a Complement		Adding an Object		The Indirect Object

Verbs at the End of the Sentence		Specifying Time and Place		Negative Statements

Question Mode		Query Words		Commands, Orders and Suggestions (The Imperative)

Sentences Starting with Place, Time, Condition		Dat (That)		Conditions and Secondary Verbs

The Passive Voice		Not Yet Classified		Recap		Variations		More Examples

Simple, Very Basic Sentences

Very simple sentences can just be a subject - (het) onderwerp

- and a verb - (het) werkwoord

- in that order. Very much like in English.
(Het) gezegde

is 'the predicate,' what is said in a sentence about the subject - hear Dutch grammar words

subject	verb

Het concert begon.		The concert started.
De trein vertrok.	2	The train left.
Het touw brak.	2	The rope broke.
Een hond blafte.		A dog barked.
De bom ontplofte.	2	The bomb exploded.
De zon schijnt.		The sun [shines] is shining.
't Regent.		It [rains] is raining.

Het

2 and its abbreviated form 't

can mean It - like in the last sentence, or it can be the article (the - next to de

2).
As you can see in the last examples, Dutch often just has a simple verb where English uses the continuous (is ...-ing.)
Dutch sometimes uses another construction - 2 to indicate ongoing human activity.

Adding A Complement

To make a statement more interesting and/or informative, add something like an adverb or a noun, or a noun with an adjective. I'm told grammarians call this part of the sentence a complement. In a straightforward sentence, place it after the verb, like in English.

subject	verb	complement

't Regende hard.		It was raining hard.
't Was koud.		It was cold.
't Werd koud.		It [became] turned cold.
Hij is oud.		He is old.
't Water is koud.		The water is cold
Het water was bruin.		The water was brown.
De appels zijn groen.		The apples are green.
De winter was lang.	2 3	Winter [was] lasted long.
De koffie is klaar.		Coffee is ready.
't Was regenachtig.		It was rainy. (?)
Ik ben ziek.	2	I am sick.
Ik heb hoofdpijn.		I have a headache.
Ik ben 1 meter 80.		I am 1 meter 80 centimeters tall (5'11").
't Was een koude dag.		[It was a cold day.] The day was cold.
't Was een regenachtige dag.		It was a rainy day.
Hij speelt gitaar.		He plays the guitar.
Zij speelt saxofoon.		She plays the saxophone.

Adding An Object

In Dutch Grammar, the Object is (often fittingly) called Lijdend Voorwerp

2 which means 'suffering entity/object' (hear more Dutch grammar words). Its ususal position is right after the verb. If there is both a 'complement' and an object, the object ususally comes first.
(I have to admit that with nouns like musical instruments or illnesses it's not always clear to me if they're complements or objects; but I think it doesn't matter in simple sentences.)

subject	verb	object	(complement)

Ik schopte een bal.	2	I kicked a ball.
Hij eet een appel.		He [eats] is eating an apple.
Zij leest een boek.		She [reads] is reading a book.
Ik zei: "Nee."		I said: "No."
Ik hoor een vliegtuig.		I hear a plane.
De raket trof een kleuterschool.		The rocket hit a nursery school.
Hij drinkt een kopje thee.		He [drinks] is having a cup of tea.
Ik verf het huis.		I'm painting the house.
Ik verf het huis wit.		I'm painting the house white.
Ik kende die mensen goed.	2	I knew those people well.

The Indirect Object

Actually, there are two kinds of objects. The most common, and the one in the examples above, is called the 'direct object' in English, and in Dutch (often fittingly) lijdend voorwerp

('suffering entity/object.')
The second class of objects is called the 'indirect object' in English, and meewerkend voorwerp

('cooperating entity/object') in Dutch. It's usually found in sentences with verbs like 'to give' (geven

2), 'to say' (zeggen

) and 'to tell' (vertellen

), that describe someone receiving something. Its usual position is right after the verb, before the direct object.

subject	verb	indirect object	direct object

Jan geeft Piet een boek.	Jan gives Piet a book.
Karel geeft Elly een ring.	Karel gives [Elly a ring] a ring to Elly. (ring for finger)
Geef haar de bloemen	Give her the flowers
Het geeft de mensen hoop.	It gives the people hope.
Ik vertel je de waarheid.	I'm telling you the truth.
Het is mij een genoegen ....	[It is a pleasure to me ...] It is with pleasure that I ...
Ik geef Marietje bloemen.	I'm giving Marietje flowers.

You may find the indirect object preceded by prepositions like 'for' or 'to' - but then both Dutch and English place it after the direct object.

subject	verb	direct object	indirect object with preposition

Jan geeft een boek aan Piet	Jan gives a book to Piet.
Ik geef bloemen aan Marietje	I'm giving flowers to Marietje.
Geef de bloemen aan haar	Give the flowers to her
Zij zingen een lied voor mij. 2	They are singing a song for me.

Do note that zij and ze can mean both 'she' and 'they' - but you can tell the difference because the verb form is different for plural and singular:

Zij zingt een lied.

She is singing a song.

Combining Object and Complement

If there is both a 'complement' and an object, the object ususally comes first, right after the verb, like in English.

subject	verb	object	complement

Hij schopt de bal hard.	He kicks the ball hard. (?)
Hij schopt de bal heel hard.	He kicks the ball very hard. (?)
Hij verft het houten huis wit. 2	He is painting the wooden house white.
Ik kende die mensen goed. 2	I knew those people well.
Hij bedoelt 't goed. 2	He means [it] well.
Hij verfde het huis snel 2	He quickly painted the house, he painted the house quickly.

But unfortunately it's not always as straightforward as in English.
In the examples above, the object has the definite article (de/het) but in the examples below, where the complement is put before the object, the object doesn't have the definite article but the indefinite article (een, 'n,) no article or a number -- though that does not cover all examples.
You'll notice the use of the article is not exactly the same in English as in Dutch.

Hij speelt heel goed gitaar. 2	He plays the guitar very well.
Ik gaf haar snel een knipoogje.	I quickly [gave her a wink] winked at her.
Hij vertelde ons snel een paar mopjes. 2	He quickly told us a few jokes.
Hij drinkt snel een biertje. 2	He is quickly drinking a beer, he quickly has a beer.
Hij maakte snel twee kistjes 2 3	He quickly built 2 small boxes
Hij berekende het verschil snel 2	He calculated the difference quickly
Hij berekende snel het verschil 2	He quickly calculated the difference
There is a slight difference in meaning in the last two examples. 'Hij berekende het verschil snel' is a stand-alone remark indicating the subject is a clever or competent person; while 'Hij berekende snel het verschil' implies 'he' is in a hurry and you expect another statement on why the rush or what 'he' did next. In the examples above, only the similar 'Hij verfde het huis snel' can be turned around like that and still be good Dutch.

exception? Honger maakt rauwe bonen zoet 2 3	Hunger makes raw beans [taste] sweet.

I moved the line below from the unexplained exception group above because 'goed' is an adjective - though translated into English as the adverb 'well'
Je spreekt goed Nederlands. 2	You speak Dutch well.
Hij spreekt goed Nederlands 2 3	He speaks Dutch well
Hij spreekt geheel onverwacht toch heel goed Nederlands 2 3 4	He quite unexpectedly speaks Dutch very well

in case you were wondering:
Hij speelt op een dure gitaar 2 3	He plays an expensive guitar

It's maybe not very important, not many sentences are like this, but to say 'Hij speelt gitaar goed' or 'Je spreekt Nederlands goed' is not good Dutch.

Verbs at The End of The Sentence

Dutch is notorious for putting some of the verbs at the end of the sentence. It makes live translation difficult, because the interpreter has to wait for the speaker to get to the end of the sentence.
Simple sentences have just one verb. It is called the 'working verb.' The 'working verb' changes with the subject: I am, you are, he is. In Dutch, the verbs that are not the 'working verb,' like the past participle of the perfect tense, or other verb forms like infinitives are usually put at the end of the sentence.

subject	working verb	(object)	(complement)	other verbs

Hij gaat het proberen.		He's going to try [it.]
Ik had teveel gegeten.		I had eaten too much. (I had had too much to eat.)
We hebben de oorlog gewonnen.		We have won the war.
Ik heb het raam opengedaan.		I [have] opened the window.
Ik heb een nieuwe fiets gekocht.		I've bought a new bicycle.
Hij heeft veel prijzen gekregen.		He has received many awards.
Je hebt gelijk gekregen.		(It turned out) you were right.
ik was 't helemaal vergeten.		I had forgotten all about it
Ik heb al m'n boeken verkocht.	2	I have sold all my books.
Ik heb al m'n gereedschap weggegeven.		I have given away all my tools.
Ik heb een paar jaar pianoles gehad.		I have had piano lessons for a [couple of] few years.
Maar ik had beter gitaar kunnen leren spelen.		But it would have been better to have learned [how] to play the guitar.
Ik had geschiedenis moeten gaan studeren.		I should have studied history (in college, at the university.)

Specifying Time and Place

Time and place are usually put right after the working verb, time usually before place. Occasionally, place is put after the secondary verbs: I'll give some examples of that but the regular sequence is just as good, don't see it as an extra rule.

subject	working verb	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	(other verbs)

Het regende gisteren.		Yesterday it rained.
Ik heb thuis gegeten.		I [have eaten] had dinner at home.
Ik was gisteren ziek.		I was sick yesterday.
Ik ga morgen bij m'n moeder eten		I'll have dinner at my mother's tomorrow.
Ik was gisteren bij de tandarts.		I was at the dentist yesterday.
Ik ga morgen naar de kapper.		I'm going to [the barber] get a haircut tomorrow.
We gaan morgen voetballen.		We'll play soccer tomorrow.
We gaan overmorgen op reis.		We will [go on a journey] travel the day after tomorrow.
Ik had je gisteren willen waarschuwen.	2	I had wanted to warn you yesterday
Ik ga morgen in Ede een huis verven.		Tomorrow I'm going to paint a house in Ede.
Ik ga overmorgen in Barneveld een schuur bouwen.		The day after tomorrow I'm going to build a shed in Barneveld.
Ik ga overmorgen een schuur bouwen in Barneveld.		The day after tomorrow I'm going to build a shed in Barneveld.
Het heeft gisteren in Nederland geregend.		Yesterday it rained in Holland.
Het heeft gisteren geregend in Nederland.	2	Yesterday it rained in Holland.
Het heeft gisteren in Nederland hard geregend.		Yesterday it rained hard in Holland.
Hij heeft gisteren in Almelo een fiets gekocht.		He's bought a bike in Almelo yesterday.
Ze heeft gisteren een auto gekocht in Hoenderloo.	2 3	She's bought a car in Hoenderloo yesterday.
Jan heeft gisteren op het voetbalveld z'n been gebroken.		John has broken [his] a leg on the soccer field yesterday.

Negative Statements

It looks like the negative statements 'niet'

2 ('not') and 'geen'

('no') (also: 'nee'

) behave just like adverbs and adjectives; actually more straightforward than English 'no' and 'not'. But do note that Dutch doesn't use the auxiliary verb 'to do,' and also note that you can't translate not and no as niet and geen every time, sometimes Dutch takes the other word, turns it around.

De zon schijnt niet.		The sun is not shining.
't Regent niet.		It is not raining.
Ik ben niet ziek.	2 3	I am not sick.
't Is niet waar!		It's not true! (Usually ironic, like You don't say!)
Er zijn geen bergen in Nederland.		There are no mountains in Holland.
Ik heb geen hoofdpijn.		I [have no headache] do not have a headache.
Ik heb geen ontbijt gehad.	2	I [had no breakfast] did not have breakfast.
Er zijn geen tomaten.	2	There are no tomatoes.
Er zijn groene tomaten.		There are green tomatoes.
Ik heb niet geslapen	2	I did not sleep.
Ik heb goed geslapen	2	I did sleep well (thank you!)
Je kon niet ver zien.		[You couldn't see far] Visibility was low.
Je kon heel ver zien.		You could see [very far] for miles.
Ik heb het niet gedaan.		I did not do it.
Je hebt het goed gedaan.		You did it [well] right.
Hij heeft het verkeerd gedaan.		He did it wrong.
We hebben 't niet gedaan.		We did not do it.
Wij hebben 't niet gedaan.		We did not do it.
Jullie hebben 't goed gedaan.		You did it well/right.
Zij hebben 't verkeerd gedaan.		They did it wrong.
Ik heb niet gegeten. Ik heb nog niet gegeten.		I haven't eaten. I haven't eaten yet.
Ik heb die film niet gezien.		I have not seen that movie.
We hebben de oorlog nog niet gewonnen.		We have not yet won the war.
Probeer niet te hoesten.	2	Try not to cough.
Probeer wakker te blijven.		Try to stay awake.
English often uses 'to do' in negative statements, but in Dutch all verbs can take the negative, use 'not' straight.
Ik weet 't niet.		I don't know [it].
Hij wilde niet naar de radio luisteren.		He did not want to listen to the radio.
Ik heb nog niet gestemd.		I didn't vote yet.
Ik hoorde 't signaal niet.	2	I didn't hear the signal.
Ik heb geen alcohol gedronken.		I [have drank no alcohol] did not drink (any) alcohol.
Het heeft gisteren in Den Haag niet geregend.		Yesterday it did not rain in The Hague.
Het heeft gisteren niet geregend in Den Haag.		Yesterday it did not rain in The Hague.

Question Mode

Turn the verb and subject of a statement sentence around to make it into a question.
In speaking, the sentence melody changes to a higher pitch at the end.

working verb	subject	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	(other verbs)

Ga jij?	2	[Go you?] Are you going? (Like, to an event)
Ben je ziek?		Are you sick?
Ben je boos?	2	Are you angry?
Is het te laat?		Is it too late?
In English, turning around verb and object only works for to be (other verbs add to do for question mode) - but in Dutch all verbs can be put into question mode this way.
Regent 't?		Is it raining?
Schijnt de zon?		Is the sun shining?
Heb je hoofdpijn?	2	Do you have a headache?
Heb je een auto?		Do you have a car?
Verveel je je?		Are you bored? (informal) - reflexive verbs
Verveelt U zich?		Are you bored? (polite)
Zijn de appels groen?	2	Are the apples green?
Zijn de bananen nog groen?		Are the bananas still green?
Zijn de bananen al geel?	2	Are the bananas already yellow?
Heb je genoeg geld?		Do you have enough money?
Gaat 't regenen?	2	Is it going to rain?
Gaat 't hard regenen?		Is it going to rain hard?
Gaat 't morgen regenen?	2	Is it going to rain tomorrow?
Gaat 't morgen hard regenen?		Is it going to rain hard tomorrow?
Heeft 't gisteren geregend?		Did it rain yesterday?
Heeft 't gisteren hard geregend?		Did it rain hard yesterday?
Regende 't gisteren?		Did it rain yesterday?
Regende 't gisteren hard?		Did it rain hard yesterday?
Schijnt de zon of regent het?		Does the sun shine or is it raining?
"Heeft U bananen?" - "Nee."		"Do you have bananas?" - "No."
Er zijn geen bananen.		There are no bananas.
"Heeft U sinaasappels?" - "Ja."		"Do you have oranges?" - "Yes."
Er zijn wel sinaasappels.		[But] we do have oranges.

Query Words

wie

who

wat

what

waar

where

wanneer

when

hoe

how

waarom

why

wie
wat
waar

who
what
where

wanneer
hoe
waarom

when
how
why

In questions with query words, the query word comes first, before the working verb - like in English. It is a question, so in Dutch you would expect the verb before the subject, but you could say the query words are very important subjects.

query word	working verb	subject	(object)	(complement)	(other verbs)

Wie is de mooiste in het land? Sneeuwwitje is de mooiste in het land.		Who is the prettiest in the land? Snow White is the prettiest in the land.
Wie heeft de wedstrijd gewonnen?		Who has won the match?
Wie heeft de verkiezingen gewonnen?		Who has won the elections?

You'll notice that Dutchmen often insert the almost meaningless er

('a less specific there'), for instance in short sentences with 'wie'

2 ('who?'); but it's not wrong to leave it out, my dear students.

Wie heeft gewonnen? Wie heeft er gewonnen?		Who has won? Who has won?
Wie heeft hier de leiding? Wie heeft er hier de leiding? De Vries is de baas.		Who's in charge here? Who's in charge here? DeVries is the boss.
Wat is dat?		What's that?
Het is een bidsprinkhaan.		It's a praying [grasshopper] mantis.
Wat zegt U?	2	What [do] did you say? (polite)
Wat wil je weten?		What would you like to know? (What information do you need?)
Wat wil je horen?		What would you like to hear? (Choose music)
Wat is er aan de hand?		What's [~on hand] going on?
Wat is dat voor een auto? Wat is dat voor 'n auto? Het is een Daf. Het is een Spijker.		What [kind of] car is that? What [kind of] car is that? It's a 'Daf.' It's a 'Spijker.'

The 'Daf'

2 was a Dutch car brand of the 1950s and 60s with an early CVT automatic transmission. Daf was later bought by Volvo (the Volvo 343 would have been the Daf 77) - van Doorne's AutomobielFabriek

2.
The DAF had a unique automatic gears system, called 't Pientere Pookje

('the clever stick-shift') in advertising.
The 'Spijker'

(also written as 'Spyker') was a Dutch car of the early days of the automobile - (de) spijker is a carpentry nail.

Waar is de uitgang? Hier is de ingang. De uitgang is daar.		Where is the exit? The entry is here. The exit is (over) there.
Waar gaat 't regenen?		Where is it going to rain?
Wanneer kom je thuis?		When are you coming home?
Wanneer is hij jarig?		When is his birthday? [Where is his birthday suit?]
Hoe lang ben je?		How tall are you?
Hoe is het weer?	2	How is the weather?
Hoe heb je dat gedaan?		How did you do that?
Hoe is 't afgelopen? Hoe zal 't aflopen?		How did it end? How will it end?
Waarom ben je boos?		Why are you angry?

Commands, Orders and Suggestions (The Imperative)

(De) gebiedende wijs

2 3 ('imperative')
In commands, orders and suggestions (the imperative mode), very much like in English, there is no subject, and these sentences usually start with the verb.
The verb stem is the imperative - it is only very rarely used in the plural.

working verb	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	(other verbs)

Zwijg!	2	Be silent! (Don't speak!)
Kom terug!	2	Come back!
Neem de tweede weg rechts.		Take the second road to the right.
Zorg dat je op tijd bent.		Take care [that you are] to be in time
Schrijf je naam op een papiertje.		Write down your name on a piece of paper.
Vergeet je telefoonnummer niet.		Don't forget (to write down) your phone number.
Kook de aardappels zeventien minuten.		Boil the potatoes for 17 minutes.
Ga meteen je huiswerk maken.		Do your homework right away.
Let maar niet op mij.	2	Now don't pay attention to me.

Sentences Starting with Place, Time, Condition

After a word or partial sentence that indicates time, place, or a condition, the working verb is placed before the subject.
(Note that a partial sentence indicating time etc. itself has the regular word order.)

statement of time, place or condition	working verb	subject	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	(other verbs)

In Kentucky is het gras blauw.		In Kentucky the grass is blue.
En dan gaan we eten.	2	And then we'll eat.
En toen kwam Jan.		[And then John came.] And at that moment John arrived.
En toen werd het donker.		And then it got dark.
Om elf uur viel ik in slaap.	2	At eleven I fell asleep.
Daar is de Engelse schroevedraaier gebruikt.		"There the English screwdriver was used." (using a hammer on a screw)
In het Nederlands zeggen we 'Gezondheid!' als iemand niest.		In Dutch we say 'Gezondheid!' when someone sneezes.
In 1813 werd Nederland een koninkrijk.		In 1813 Holland became a kingdom.
compare: Nederland werd een koninkrijk in 1813.		Holland became a kingdom in 1813.
In 1568 begon De Tachtigjarige Oorlog.		In 1568 the 80-Years War (The Dutch Revoution) started.
compare: De Tachtigjarige Oorlog begon in 1568.		The 80-Years War (The Dutch Revoution) started in 1568.
In Nederland is het vaak bewolkt.		In Holland, it's often overcast.
compare: Het is vaak bewolkt in Nederland.		It's often overcast in Holland.
Toen de oorlog begon was m'n vader tweeëndertig.		When the war started, my Dad was 32.
compare: M'n vader was tweeëndertig toen de oorlog begon.		My Dad was 32 when the war started.
Aan het eind van de straat gaan we rechtsaf.		At the end of the street we'll [go right] make a right turn.
Toen de zon onderging begon de muziek.		When the sun went down the music started.
compare: De muziek begon.		The music started.
compare: De zon ging onder.		The sun went down.
Toen de zon onderging werd het donker.		When the sun went down it got dark.
compare: Het werd donker.		It [became] turned dark.
Toen het donker werd gingen we naar huis.		When it got dark we went home.
compare: We gingen naar huis.	2	We went home.
En toen werd het donker.		And then it got dark.
Toen het donker werd ging het licht aan.		When it got dark the light came on.
compare: Het licht ging aan.		The light came on.
Als de muziek begint moet je stil zijn.		When the music starts you'll have to be quiet
compare: De muziek begint.		The music is starting.
compare: Je moet stil zijn.		You have to be quiet.
Als het concert begint moet je stil zijn.		When the concert starts you'll have to be quiet.
Toen we naar huis gingen was het donker.	2	When we went home it was dark.
compare: We gingen naar huis.	2	We went home.
compare: 't Was donker.		It was dark.
Als de zon schijnt ben ik blij.		When the sun shines I'm happy.
compare: Ik ben blij.		I'm happy.
Als het regent word ik droevig.		When it rains I get sad.
compare: Ik word droevig.		I'm getting sad.
Met Kerstmis gingen we naar de nachtmis.		At Christmas we went to the midnight mass.
compare: We gingen naar de nachtmis met Kerstmis.		We went to midnight mass at Christmas.
compare: We gingen met Kerstmis naar de nachtmis.	2	We went to midnight mass at Christmas.
Vannacht regende het.		Last night it rained.
Vannacht heeft 't geregend.		Last night it rained.

Dat (That)

Dutch 'Dat'

like English 'That' can mean three (four) 'things.' Three are found in the (correct, but not very pretty) sentence below:

Dat boek zegt dat hij dat gedaan heeft.

2 3

That book says that he did that.

Dat¹ boek zegt dat² hij dat³ gedaan heeft.
Dat¹: pointing at, indicating which book
Dat²: what is said
Dat³: short for, referring to, replacing something mentioned before
Later ... There is actually a fourth 'dat' - in sub-sentences that describe or provide details about the preceding word or phrase. This 'dat' is sometimes rendered in English as 'who' or 'which.'

Het enige boek dat dit goed beschrijft

2 3

The only book that/which describes this well

For more about 'dat' please see and hear: Disambiguation

This paragraph will be about sentences with dat², which (if I'm informed right) is called a conjunction by grammarians. Occasionally, other words work like this dat, for instance

omdat

('because,')
waar

('where,')

hoe

('how,')
als

('if, when,')

wanneer

('when,')
wie

2 ('who')

wat

('what.')

In sentences of this kind (Grammarians undoubtedly have an exciting word for it) the working verb is usually the last word of the sentence.
See below for exceptions in sentences that have infinitives.

'dat'	subject	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	(other verbs)	working verb

Het is te laat		It is too late.
Ik denk dat het te laat is.		I think it's too late.
Er is niet genoeg tijd.		There is not enough time.
Ze zeggen dat er niet genoeg tijd is.		They say there's not enough time.
Het is mooi weer.		The weather is beautiful.
Ik ben blij dat het mooi weer is.		I'm glad the weather is nice.
Het heeft vannacht geregend.	2	It rained last night.
Ik ben blij dat het vannacht geregend heeft.	2	I am glad that it rained last night.
Ik ben blij dat de zon schijnt.		I am glad that the sun is shining.
Ik ben blij als de zon schijnt.		I am happy when the sun is shining.
Ik ben bang dat de avocado's nog niet rijp zijn.	2	I'm afraid [that] the avocados are not ripe yet.
Ik ben bang dat het nog niet klaar is.		I'm afraid it is not ready yet.
Weet jij wie hij is?		Do you know who he is?
Ik weet niet wie hij is.		I don't know who he is.
Ik weet niet wat de oorzaak is.		I don't know [what the cause is] what's causing it.
Ik weet niet wat de reden is.		I don't know what the reason is.
Ik begrijp niet wat ze in hem ziet.	2	I don't understand what she sees in him.
Ik kan niet zien waar het lekt.		I can't see where [it's leaking] the leak is.
Weet jij waar de sleutel is? Weet je waar de sleutel is?	2	Do you know where the key is? Do you know where the key is?
Ik begrijp niet hoe het werkt.	2	I don't understand how it works.
Men zegt dat in Kentucky het gras blauw is.	2	It is said that the grass is blue in Kentucky.
Men zegt dat het gras blauw is in Kentucky.		It is said that the grass is blue in Kentucky.
Ik heb wel eens gehoord dat het in het zuiden van Californië nooit regent.		I've heard that it never rains in Southern California
Ik heb wel eens gehoord dat het nooit regent in het zuiden van Californië.	2	I've heard that it never rains in Southern California

Conditions and Secondary Verbs

If a sentence of this kind is in the perfect tense, the working verb can be placed either before of after the past participle. To put the working verb after the past participle is certainly not wrong, so don't worry about having an extra rule.

Ik was kwaad omdat ik weer voor m'n rijexamen gezakt was.	2	I was angry because I failed the driving test again.
Ik ben blij dat je gekomen bent.	2 3	I'm glad that you have come.
Hij denkt dat ik het gedroomd heb.	2	He thinks (that) I [dreamed it] saw it in a dream.

But if the other verbs are infinitives, like in the future or conditional tense, the working verb is placed before them. (Only later I more fully understood the use of infinitives in what I called the 'conditional' - more)

'dat'	subject	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	working verb	infinitive(s)

Zij denkt dat het nog gaat gebeuren.		She thinks (that) it's still going to happen.
Wie zegt dat 't gaat regenen?		Who says it's going to rain?
Het weerbericht zegt dat het morgen gaat regenen.		The weather report says it's going to rain tomorrow.
Denk je dat 't gaat regenen?		Do you think it's going to rain?
Ik denk dat het gaat regenen.		I think it's going to rain.
Denk je dat 't hard gaat regenen?		Do you think it's going to rain hard?
Denk je dat 't morgen gaat regenen?		Do you think it's going to rain tomorrow?
Denk je dat 't morgen hard gaat regenen?		Do you think it's going to rain hard tomorrow?
ik denk dat het morgen hard gaat regenen.		I think it's going to rain hard tomorrow.
Weet jij hoe je het moet zeggen?		Do you know how to say it?
Ik denk niet dat hij naar ons had willen luisteren.	2	I don't think he would have [wanted to listen] listened to us.
Het was niet wat hij wilde horen.		It was not what he wanted to hear.
Er is geen reden waarom hij niet zou kunnen winnen.		There's no reason why he [shouldn't be able to] couldn't win.

The Passive Voice

The object of the regular sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence; something is 'done' to this new subject by the old subject, of the regular sentence; and (if present) this 'acting agent,' the 'perpetrator' (so to speak) is indicated by 'door

('by') ...' See also in verbs.

subject	working verb: 'worden'	(time)	(place)	('door (by)) ...'	(complement)	past participle

Ik verf het huis.		I'm painting the house.
passive: Het huis wordt geverfd.		The house is being painted.
passive: Het huis wordt door mij geverfd.		The house is being painted by me.
Ik verf het huis wit.		I'm painting the house white.
passive: Het huis wordt door mij wit geverfd.		The house is being painted white by me.
passive: Ik denk dat het huis wit geverfd wordt.		I think the house is being painted white.
Ik denk dat ik het huis wit ga verven.		I think I'll paint the house white.
Het huis is wit		The house is white.
passive: Het huis wordt wit geverfd.		The house is being painted white.
passive: Het huis is wit geverfd.		The house has been painted white. Dutch leaves out the past participle 'been' (geworden 2.)
Ik werd afgeleid.	2	I was distracted.

Not Yet Classified

Schijnt de zon of regent het?		Is the sun shining or is it raining?
Hij was te klein om over de schutting te kijken.	2	He was too small to look over the fence.
Ik was van plan om het huis wit te verven.		I had in mind to paint the house white.
Hij dacht er niet lang over na.	2 3	He didn't think [long] twice about it.
Hij heeft er niet lang over nagedacht.	2	He did not think, has not thought [long] twice about it.
Ik zaagde de plank te kort af.		I cut [off] the board too short.
Ik heb de plank te kort afgezaagd.	2	I [have] cut [off] the board too short.
De soep kookte over.		The soup boiled over. (out of the pot)
Maak eerst je huiswerk af!		First finish your homework!
Ik schopte gisteren op het voetbalveld de bal met m'n linkervoet tegen de paal.		Yesterday on the soccer field I kicked the ball against the goal post with my left foot.
M'n vrouw zegt dat de bal niet in het doel wordt geschopt maar geschoten.y		My wife says the ball is not 'kicked' into the goal but 'shot.'
(Ik ben niet echt een voetballer.)	2 3	([I am not really a soccer player.] I do not really play soccer.)
Dat was te verwachten.	2	That was to be expected.
Hij zorgt goed voor je.	2	He's taking good care of you.

't Is weer bruin of gespikkeld

2 3
[It's brown or dotted again] Soccer time! names - fields

Recap

Very Simple Sentences

subject	verb

Ik schopte.

I kicked.

Slightly Less Basic

subject	verb	complement

Ik schopte hard genoeg.

I kicked hard enough

Still Pretty Basic

subject	verb	object	(complement)

Ik schopte de bal.		I kicked the ball.
Ik schopte de bal hard genoeg.		I kicked the ball hard enough.

More than One Verb: All To The End of The Line except for The Working Verb

subject	working verb	(object)	(complement)	other verbs

Ik heb de bal geschopt.		I have kicked the ball.
Ik heb de bal hard genoeg geschopt.	2	I have kicked the ball hard enough.
Ik had harder willen schoppen.		I had wanted to kick harder.
Ik had de bal harder willen schoppen.		I had wanted to kick the ball harder.

Time, Place

subject	working verb	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	(other verbs)

Ik schopte gisteren op het voetbalveld de bal hard genoeg.

Yesterday on the soccer field I kicked the ball hard enough.

Question Mode

working verb	subject	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	(other verbs)

Schopte ik?		Did I kick?
Schopte ik de bal?		Did I kick the ball?
Schopte ik de bal hard genoeg?		Did I kick the ball?
Schopte ik gisteren op het voetbalveld de bal hard genoeg?		Did I kick the ball hard enough on the soccer field yesterday?
Heb ik hard genoeg geschopt?		Did I kick hard enough?

Commands, Suggestions (The Imperative)

working verb	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	(other verbs)

Schop de bal!	2	Kick the ball!
Stop die bal!		Stop that ball!
Schop de bal in het doel!		Kick the ball into the goal!

Sentences Starting with A Statement of Time, Place or A Condition

statement of time, place or condition	working verb	subject	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	(other verbs)

Gisteren schopte ik niet hard genoeg.		Yesterday I didn't kick hard enough.
Eergisteren schopte ik in Waddinxveen veel te hard.		The day before yesterday in Waddinxveen I kicked [much] way too hard.
In Broek op Langedijk heb ik ook niet hard geschopt.		In Broek op Langedijk I didn't kick hard either.

Dat ('That') and Words like It

'dat'	subject	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	(other verbs)	working verb

Ik denk dat ik de bal hard genoeg geschopt heb.

I think [that] I kicked the ball hard enough.

Dat ('That') and Words like It Infinitives Exception

'dat'	subject	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	working verb	infinitive(s)

Ik zou willen dat ik harder kon schoppen.	2	[I would like to be able to kick harder.] I wish I could kick harder.
Ik wilde dat ik harder kon schoppen		I wished I could kick harder.
Ik hoop dat ik morgen hard genoeg kan schoppen.		I hope I'll be able to kick hard enough tomorrow.
M'n vrouw zegt dat ik niet goed kan schoppen.		My wife says I do not kick well.

The Passive

subject	working verb: 'worden'	(time)	(place)	('door (by)) ...'	(complement)	past participle

De bal wordt geschopt.		The ball is kicked.
De bal werd geschopt.		The ball was kicked.
De bal werd door Jan in het doel geschopt.	2	The ball was kicked into the goal by John.

Variations

The 8 lines below are all good, correct Dutch, meaning: Yesterday in Assen I gave Piet a present)

Ik gaf Piet gisteren in Assen een cadeau. 2
Ik gaf gisteren in Assen een cadeau aan Piet. 2
Ik heb gisteren in Assen Piet een cadeau gegeven. 2
Ik heb Piet gisteren in Assen een cadeau gegeven. 2
Ik heb gisteren in Assen een cadeau aan Piet gegeven. 2
Ik heb gisteren in Assen een cadeau gegeven aan Piet. 2
Gisteren heb ik Piet in Assen een cadeau gegeven. 2
Gisteren in Assen heb ik Piet een cadeau gegeven.
(Yesterday in Assen I gave Piet a present)

Hij wil mij morgen in Gouda een boek geven 2	Tomorrow in Gouda he wants to give me a book
Ik zal Jan morgen in Amsterdam geld geven	Tomorrow in Amsterdam I'll give money to Jan
Volgende week ga ik Elly in Edam bloemen geven 2	Next week in Edam I'll give Elly flowers
De verpleegster gaf hem gisteren thuis een injectie	Yesterday the nurse gave him a shot at home

More Examples

Het regent.

Het gaat regenen.

Het gaat morgen regenen.

Ik denk dat het morgen gaat regenen.

Volgens het weerbericht gaat het morgen regenen.

Het weerbericht zegt dat het morgen gaat regenen.

- hear in full (6 lines)

It [rains] is raining.
It's going to rain.
It's going to rain tomorrow.
I think [that] it's going to rain tomorrow.
According to the weather report it's going to rain tomorrow.
The weather report says it's going to rain tomorrow.

Gaat 't regenen?		Is it going to rain?
't Regende gisteren hard.		It was raining hard yesterday.
't Heeft gisteren hard geregend.		It was raining hard yesterday.

Het is klaar.

Het is morgen klaar.

Ik denk dat het morgen klaar is.

Hij zegt dat het morgen klaar is.

- hear in full (4 lines)

It is ready.
It [is] will be ready tomorrow.
I think [that] it [is] will be ready tomorrow.
He says [that] it [is] will be ready tomorrow.

"Adam en Eva spraken Nederlands in het Paradijs."		"Adam and Eve spoke Dutch in Paradise."
"In het Paradijs spraken Adam en Eva Nederlands"	2	"In Paradise, Adam and Eve spoke Dutch."
Volgens Goropius spraken Adam en Eva Nederlands.	2	According to Goropius, Adam and Eve spoke Dutch.
Goropius zegt dat Adam en Eva Nederlands spraken.	2	Goropius says that Adam and Eve spoke Dutch.
Als de lente komt, dan stuur ik jou tulpen uit Amsterdam.		When Spring comes, [then] I'll send you tulips from Amsterdam.

It's often said that languages like Latin and Greek are 'difficult' because of the many forms that nouns and verbs take. But in 'modern' languages, the word order can be pretty complicated, isn't it?

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