Dutch Word Order: The Quick Guide for Beginners

If you’re learning Dutch, you’ve probably noticed that word order can feel tricky. Sometimes the verb comes second, sometimes at the end… and then there are questions that seem to turn everything upside down. Don’t worry: Dutch word order follows clear patterns. In this guide, we’ll look at the basics step by step, with examples you can use right away.

The Basic Dutch Sentence: Verb in Second Position

The golden rule in Dutch: the verb is always in the second position of the sentence.

Example:

• Ik woon in Amsterdam. (I live in Amsterdam.)
• Hij leest een boek. (He reads a book.)

Even if the subject is longer, the verb stays second:

Example:

• Mijn beste vriend woont in Rotterdam. (My best friend lives in Rotterdam.)

Asking Questions in Dutch

There are two main ways to make questions:

a) Yes/No questions
Here the verb comes first.

Example:

• Woon jij in Amsterdam? (Do you live in Amsterdam?)
• Spreekt hij Engels? (Does he speak English?)

b) Question word + verb + subject
When you use a question word (waar, wanneer, hoe, waarom…), the verb still comes second.

Example:

• Waar woon jij? (Where do you live?)
• Wanneer begint de les? (When does the class start?)
• Waarom leer jij Nederlands? (Why are you learning Dutch?)

Inversie: Switching Subject and Verb

When a sentence doesn’t start with the subject, Dutch does a little flip called inversie: the subject and verb switch places, so that the verb is still in second position.

Compare:

• Ik ga morgen naar school. (I go to school tomorrow.)
• Morgen ga ik naar school. (Tomorrow I go to school.)

See how in the second sentence, the verb “ga” comes right after “morgen”? That’s inversie.

Catapult: Verb to the End

In certain sentences, a “trigger word” catapults the verb to the end. This happens after subordinating conjunctions like:

• dat (that)
• omdat (because)
• of (if/whether)
• terwijl (while)
• als (if/when)

Examples:

• Ik weet dat jij in Amsterdam woont. (I know that he lives in Amsterdam.)
• Ik blijf thuis omdat ik ziek ben. (I stay home because I am sick.)
• Hij vraagt of zij morgen komt.  (He asks if she is coming tomorrow.)

Notice how the verb goes all the way to the end of the clause.

Putting It All Together

Let’s see these rules in action:

• Basic sentence: Ik drink koffie. (I drink coffee.)
• Question: Drink jij koffie? (Do you drink coffee?)
• Inversie: Morgen drink ik koffie. (Tommorow I drink coffee. / Tomorrow I will drink coffee.)
• Catapult: Ik drink thee omdat ik geen koffie heb. (I drink tea because I don’t have coffee.)

Quick Tips for Practice

1. Remember: verb is always in second place (except in questions and catapult clauses).
2. When in doubt, say the sentence slowly and listen for the verb.
3. Practice by writing one sentence and then changing the order: start with “Vandaag,” “Morgen,” or add “omdat.”

Free PDF: Dutch Word Order Cheat Sheet

Want a handy overview of these rules with more examples? Download my free Dutch Word Order Cheat Sheet here or check out my Free Downloads page.