Dutch coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, because and so
Five common Dutch linking words — en, maar, of, want and dus — connect equal parts, with two standard word-order patterns for dus.
Ik werk vandaag, maar morgen ben ik vrij. (I am working today, but tomorrow I am off.) Maar (but) is a coordinating conjunction — in Dutch, a nevenschikkend voegwoord. It connects equal parts without turning either main clause into a subordinate clause. This article covers five common linking words: en (and), maar (but), of (or), want (because) and dus (so).
How do you join two main clauses?
Write each main clause with its normal word order, then put the conjunction between them. A main clause can stand on its own. The finite verb is the conjugated verb. In a statement, it normally takes the second position.
- Write the first clause: Ik werk vandaag. (I am working today.)
- Choose the link: maar (but).
- Write the second clause as a normal main clause: Morgen ben ik vrij. (Tomorrow I am off.)
Put the parts together: Ik werk vandaag, maar morgen ben ik vrij. Here morgen fills the first position. The verb ben takes the second position. The subject ik follows it. The conjunction itself does not fill a position in the second clause. The second clause still follows the verb-second rule.
When do you use each word?
| Word | Relationship | Example |
|---|---|---|
| en (and) | adds information | Noor kookt en Sam dekt de tafel. (Noor cooks and Sam sets the table.) |
| maar (but) | marks a contrast | Ik werk vandaag, maar morgen ben ik vrij. (I am working today, but tomorrow I am off.) |
| of (or) | offers a choice | Ga je mee of blijf je thuis? (Are you coming along or staying home?) |
| want (because) | gives a reason | Ik ga naar huis, want ik ben moe. (I am going home because I am tired.) |
| dus (so) | gives a result or conclusion | De les valt uit, dus we gaan naar huis. (The class is cancelled, so we are going home.) |
The linked parts do not always need to be full clauses. En, maar and of can also connect words or phrases: Ik haal koffie en thee. (I will get coffee and tea.) If two linked clauses have the same subject, Dutch often states it only once: Noor kookt en dekt de tafel. (Noor cooks and sets the table.)
Why does dus have two word orders?
Het regent, dus we blijven binnen. / Het regent, dus blijven we binnen. (It is raining, so we are staying inside.) Both patterns are correct.
| Pattern | Role of dus | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| dus we blijven binnen | conjunction | we is first in the clause and blijven is second |
| dus blijven we binnen | linking adverb | dus is first in the clause, so blijven comes before we |
Grammar sources use different labels for dus. Some list it as a conjunction. Others call it a linking adverb. Both orders above are standard Dutch. The page on linking adverbs and inversion compares the two patterns and teaches words such as daarom and daardoor.
want versus omdat: word order
Ik blijf thuis, want ik ben moe. (I am staying home because I am tired.) After want, use normal main-clause order: ik ben moe, not ik moe ben. After the subordinating conjunction omdat (because), the verb does go to the end: Ik blijf thuis omdat ik moe ben.
Do not turn the want reason into a fronted clause: not Want ik ben moe, blijf ik thuis. Use Omdat ik moe ben, blijf ik thuis. (Because I am tired, I am staying home.) Want may still begin a new written sentence when it links back to the sentence before it, but that style is informal.
Subordinate of: when it means whether
Ik weet niet of Noor morgen kan komen. (I do not know whether Noor can come tomorrow.) Here of means whether, not or, and starts a subordinate clause. The verbs kan komen therefore stand at the end.
See also
Compare this pattern with subordinating conjunctions, which place the verbs at the end of their clause. For reasons in particular, read want, omdat or doordat. Review the verb-second rule if the order morgen ben ik is still new.
- Which row contains the five common linking words from this article?
- en, maar, of, want, dus
- omdat, dat, als, terwijl, hoewel
- en, omdat, of, dus, terwijl
- want, dus, zodat, nadat, of
The five common linking words are *en*, *maar*, *of*, *want* and *dus*. With *dus*, both *dus we blijven* and *dus blijven we* are standard.
- Fill in: *Ik werk vandaag, maar morgen ___.* (Tomorrow I am off.)
- ben ik vrij
- ik ben vrij
- ik vrij ben
- ben vrij ik
The second clause keeps normal verb-second order. The time word *morgen* fills the first position. The finite verb *ben* comes next. The subject *ik* follows: *maar morgen ben ik vrij*.
- Fill in: *Ik ga naar huis, ___ ik ben moe.* (because)
- want
- dus
- of
- en
*Want* gives the reason for going home. It is followed here by the normal main-clause order *ik ben moe*.
- Which option contains two correct sentences?
- *Het regent, dus we blijven binnen.* / *Het regent, dus blijven we binnen.*
- *Het regent, dus we binnen blijven.* / *Het regent, dus binnen we blijven.*
- *Het regent, dus blijven binnen we.* / *Het regent, dus we binnen blijven.*
- *Het regent, dus binnen we blijven.* / *Het regent, dus we blijven binnen.*
Both *dus we blijven binnen* and *dus blijven we binnen* are correct. In the first, *dus* acts as a conjunction. In the second, *dus* fills the first position as an adverb, so the verb comes before the subject.
- In which sentence does *of* mean whether, not or?
- *Ik weet niet of Noor morgen kan komen.*
- *Wil je koffie of thee?*
- *Ga je mee of blijf je thuis?*
- *We reizen met de bus of met de trein.*
Here *of* introduces an indirect question and means whether. It starts a subordinate clause, so *kan komen* stands at the end. In the other sentences, *of* offers a choice and means or.
Test yourself
Question 1 of 5
Which row contains the five common linking words from this article?