Why does the verb always come second in Dutch?
In Turkish the verb comes last; in a Dutch main clause it comes second. We explain the rule with three examples and two exceptions, so you understand it instead of memorising it.
Word order is one of the things Turkish speakers find hardest in Dutch. In Turkish the verb goes at the end of the sentence; in a Dutch main clause, the conjugated verb is in second position. This is known as the V2 rule.
The basic rule
Whatever comes first in the sentence, the conjugated verb follows right after it.
Ik werk vandaag thuis.Vandaag werk ik thuis.In the second sentence, vandaag moved to the first position; the verb stayed in second place and the subject (ik) moved after the verb.
When there are two verbs
The auxiliary verb stays in second position and the main verb goes to the end of the sentence:
Ik wil morgen naar de markt gaan.Two important exceptions
Yes/no questions
The verb moves to the first position: Werkt u vandaag?
Subordinate clauses
After conjunctions such as omdat, dat and als, the verb goes to the end of the clause: …omdat ik vandaag thuis werk.
Tags: grammar · word order · A1 · A2