waardoor, waarbij, waarna and waarvan as clause links

In De server viel uit, waardoor niemand kon inloggen (The server failed, as a result of which nobody could log in), waardoor takes the whole preceding event as its starting point rather than describing one noun. Dutch uses several waar + preposition forms in this way to add a relative clause and build a connected account.

State an event, situation, or set, add a comma, and choose the waar + preposition form that expresses the relation. The new relative clause has dependent-clause word order, so its finite verb or verb cluster stands at the end.

Compare this with an ordinary relative form after a noun: de stoel waarop ik zit describes de stoel. In De vergadering liep uit, waarna we naar huis gingen, waarna takes the preceding event as a whole and moves the timeline forward.

Use waardoor when the preceding fact or event produces the result in the relative clause. A useful paraphrase is met als gevolg dat (with the result that).

The cause is not necessarily one noun; it is the proposition expressed before the comma. That is why replacing waardoor with relative die or dat fails here.

Use waarna for a later step: “after which”. Use waarbij when the next information occurs during, as part of, or in connection with the preceding event: “in the course of which” or “in which process”.

Do not use waarna merely because two events are mentioned: the second must follow the first in time. Do not use waarbij as a vague all-purpose link if a clearer relation such as result (waardoor) or sequence (waarna) is intended.

After a set or list, waaronder introduces one or more included members: “including” or “among which”. Partitive waarvan tells how many or which portion of a preceding group has a property.

In waarvan er twee ..., er is quantitative: it lets the number stand without repeating the plural noun. The antecedent is the preceding set, not the possession relation taught in forms such as het huis waarvan het dak lekt.

A continuative relative clause gives extra information about an already complete event or set, so place a comma before it. If the clause is inserted rather than sentence-final, close it with a second comma.

The waar-form itself fills a role inside the relative clause. It therefore triggers the verb-final order of a dependent clause, even though the continuation may feel almost as important as a new main clause in the developing text.

All three can express a causal relation, but they belong to different structures. Look at what comes before the linker and at the word order after it.

With waardoor, the cause is the whole statement before the comma. With doordat, the cause is the dependent clause after the conjunction. With daardoor, you start or organize a main clause and apply inversion when it stands first. The broader cause distinction is covered under want, omdat and doordat.

• Do not omit the comma before a sentence-final continuative relative clause.
• Do not use main-clause order after the waar-link: write waarna het gesprek begon.
• Choose the relation precisely: waardoor for result, waarna for sequence, and waarbij for circumstances or participation.
• Do not confuse clause-linking waardoor with causal conjunction doordat or main-clause daardoor.
• After a numbered group, use partitive waarvan; use waaronder to name included examples or members.

Review relative clauses with a preposition, prepositional er, and the contrast among want, omdat, and doordat. The linked clause still follows subordinate-clause word order.