Dutch conjunctions: en, maar, want, omdat, als and toen

Short sentences get you started, but real conversation needs links: because, but, when, although. In Dutch, the word you choose to link two sentences also decides where the verb goes. Some conjunctions leave the word order alone, others send the verb to the very end. Once you know which group a word belongs to, you can build long, natural sentences.

Two groups

Coordinating conjunctions: nothing changes

These five link two main clauses. After them, you just carry on with normal word order: subject, then verb.

• en (and): Ik kook en hij doet de afwas. — I cook and he does the dishes.
• maar (but): Ik heb honger, maar de keuken is dicht. — I'm hungry, but the kitchen is closed.
• of (or): Gaan we naar de film of blijven we thuis? — Are we going to the cinema or staying at home?
• want (because, for): Ik blijf thuis, want ik ben ziek. — I'm staying at home because I'm ill.
• dus (so): Het regent, dus ik neem de bus. — It's raining, so I'm taking the bus.

The conjunction itself doesn't count as a position, so if you start the second clause with something other than the subject, you get the usual inversion: Ik werk vandaag, maar morgen heb ik vrij. — I'm working today, but tomorrow I'm off.

Dus: two options

Dus is a bit special. It can act as a coordinating conjunction (no inversion), but it's really an adverb, so it can also take first position and trigger inversion. Both are correct:

• Het regent, dus ik neem de bus.
• Het regent, dus neem ik de bus.

Both are common in speech and writing, so choose whichever comes naturally.

Subordinating conjunctions: verb to the end

These introduce a subordinate clause, which can't stand alone. In that clause, all the verbs move to the end.

• Ik denk dat hij morgen komt. — I think he's coming tomorrow.
• Ik blijf thuis omdat ik ziek ben. — I'm staying home because I'm ill.
• Ik weet niet of ze thuis is. — I don't know if she's at home.

With more than one verb, they all cluster at the end:

• Ik denk dat ze morgen wil komen. — I think she wants to come tomorrow.
• Hij zegt dat hij het al heeft gedaan. — He says he has already done it.

Separable verbs join back together: Ik ben moe omdat ik vroeg opsta. — I'm tired because I get up early. More in separable verbs.

The common ones

Others you'll meet soon: sinds (since), totdat (until), zodra (as soon as).

Note that of appears in both groups: as "or" it's coordinating, as "whether/if" it's subordinating. English speakers often use als for "I don't know if…", but that's wrong. In indirect questions, "if" is always of.

Starting with the subordinate clause

You can put the subordinate clause first. It then counts as the first position of the main clause, so the main clause starts with its verb. You get the typical verb, comma, verb pattern:

• Als het regent, blijf ik thuis. — If it rains, I stay at home.
• Omdat ik ziek ben, blijf ik thuis. — Because I'm ill, I'm staying at home.
• Toen we in Rotterdam woonden, werkte ik in een café. — When we lived in Rotterdam, I worked in a café.

See Dutch word order for the full system.

Want or omdat?

Both mean "because", and in most sentences you can use either. The difference is the word order:

• Ik ga naar bed, want ik ben moe. (main clause order)
• Ik ga naar bed omdat ik moe ben. (verb at the end)

There are two practical differences. First, omdat can start a sentence, want can't. Second, when you answer waarom? (why?) with a short reason, use omdat:

• Waarom ben je niet gekomen? — Omdat ik ziek was. — Why didn't you come? — Because I was ill.

Tip: If verb-final word order still feels hard, want is your friend in conversation. But do practise omdat: you'll need the same word order for every other subordinating conjunction.

Als, wanneer or toen?

English "when" has three Dutch translations, and this is where learners slip up most.

Toen is for one specific moment or period in the past:

• Toen ik in Spanje was, heb ik veel paella gegeten. — When I was in Spain, I ate a lot of paella.
• Toen ik klein was, woonden we in Groningen. — When I was little, we lived in Groningen.

Als is for the present and future, for things that happen repeatedly (also in the past), and for conditions ("if"):

• Als ik klaar ben, bel ik je. — When I'm finished, I'll call you.
• Als het mooi weer is, fiets ik naar mijn werk. — When / If the weather is nice, I cycle to work.
• Als ik bij mijn oma was, kreeg ik altijd snoep. — Whenever I was at my grandma's, I always got sweets.

Wanneer as a conjunction means the same as time-als, but it's a bit more formal and usually means "when" rather than "if" (though formal Dutch also uses it for "if": Wanneer u vragen heeft, …). In everyday speech, als is more common. Wanneer is also the question word: Wanneer kom je? — When are you coming?

A classic mistake: Als ik een kind was… means "If I were a child…" (hypothetical). For "When I was a child…" you need Toen ik een kind was…. For more on "if" sentences, see the conditional lesson.

One more trap: toen can also be an adverb meaning "then". As an adverb it takes first position and the verb follows straight away: We aten pizza. Toen gingen we naar huis. — We ate pizza. Then we went home.

Quick summary

• En, maar, of, want, dus: normal word order after them.
• Dus may also take inversion: dus neem ik de bus.
• Dat, omdat, als, wanneer, toen, terwijl, voordat, nadat, hoewel, zodat, of: all verbs go to the end.
• Subordinate clause first? The main clause starts with its verb: Als het regent, blijf ik thuis.
• Want and omdat both mean "because"; only omdat can start a sentence or answer waarom?.
• "If" in indirect questions is of, not als.
• Toen = one past moment; als = present, future, repeated or "if"; wanneer = more formal "when".

Practise it

Give reasons with want and omdat in Giving opinions, tell stories with toen in The imperfect, and build als-sentences in Conditional sentences.