Dutch Dutch Word Order In Sentences. Good Info. For Newbies To Learn.

Home | Classroom | Archive 1 | Archive 2 | Words | Phrases | Countries | Languages

Phrasebase Archive

Friendship Friday 03rd of February 2006 01:52:42 AM
Dutch word order in sentences. - Hello fellow Dutch students,
I am presenting this information to newbies because it will make it much easier for you to write correct Dutch sentences. Trust me, and learn from my mistakes:)...
After studying Dutch intensely for two years now,I neglected to study the very important topic of "How to arrange Dutch words correctly in a sentence". Therefore, although I now know alot about grammar, and many Dutch words, I still find it very difficult to construct even simple Dutch sentences. If I had simply spent a little time, at the beginning of my studies, to learn more about Dutch word order in sentences, I would have saved myself a lot of needless heartache, and have progressed much faster in mastering the language:).
*Dutch sentences employ three basic types of word order:
The position of the working(conjugated) verb provides the focal point for their description.
TYPE I:
In most Dutch sentences, the working(conjugated) verb occupies second position. The subject of the sentence normally, but not always, takes first position. If some element other than the subject begins the sentence, the subject is regularly placed immediately after the working verb. Inactive verb forms(infinitives and past participles)come at the end of the sentence.

Sequence 1: Subject, working verb(in CAPS),..., infinitive/participle

Ik HELP hem.
I help(am helping) him.

Hij ZAL ons helpen.
He will help us.

Het kind WIL met de kat spelen.
The child wants to play with the cat.

Ik HEB hem gisteren opgebeld
I called him yesterday.

Ik HEB hem vaak moeten helpen.
I often had to help him.

Sequence 2:
First element(not the subject), working verb(in CAPS), subject,...,infinitive/participle

Wanneer KOMT hij terug?
When is he comming back?

Morgen MOETEN wij vertrekken.
We must leave tomorrow.

Met wie HEBT u daarover gesproken?
With whom did you talk about it?

In de krant HEB ik dat artikel gelezen.
It was in the newspaper that I read that article.

Deze man WIL ik niet helpen.
I do not want to help this man.

Omdat het zo hard regent, BLIJVEN wij thuis.
Since it is raining so hard, we are staying home.
*Please note that almost any element may occupy first sentence position: question words, adverbs, prepositional phrases, object nouns and pronouns, or even an entire clause. Sentence elements with significant information value are often assigned first position as are those ideas a speaker or writer wishes to emphasize.

Type II: In yes-and-no questions the working verb stands in fist position, followed by the subject. The working verb also occupies first position in commands. If a subject is expressed, it follows the verb. Inactive verb forms(infinitives and past participles) occupy last position.

Sequence: Working verb(in CAPS), subject,..., infinitive/participle.
Zijn Piet en Ineke al thuis?
Are Piet and Ineke home already?

GA jij met hem mee!
You go along with him!

TYPE III: In dependent clauses the working verb comes at the end of the clause. Inactive verb forms generally precede the working verb, although they are sometimes placed after it. This is largely a question of usage and style and need not concern the beginner. There are several kinds of dependent clauses.

Dat is de man, aan wie ik het boek GAF.
That is the man to whom I gave the book.

Wij maken een wandeltocht, omdat het mooi weer IS.
We are taking a walk because the weather is so nice.
Good Luck!

Friendship Saturday 04th of February 2006 02:04:56 AM
Where to place a negative... - *****Taking our study of word order in Dutch sentences further, let us now go on to study the question of negation(which is complex in any language :(...)*****:

RULE I: In simple sentences the negative NIET(not) comes last when the whole sentence is negated:
Ik weet het niet.
I don't know(it).

Hij ziet onze vrienden niet.
He doesn't see our friends.

Kom je of kom je niet?
Are you comming or aren't you?

RULE II: In sentences where a predicate adjective follows the verb "to be", NIET immediately precedes the predicate adjective:
Ik ben niet rijk.
I am not wealthy.

Hij was niet dapper.
He was not brave.

RULE III: When NIET negates one specific sentence element, it precedes that element:
Hij speelt niet goed.
He does not play well.

Hij heeft niet goed gespeeld.
He did not play well.

Dat doe ik niet graag.
I don't like to do that.(literally:That I do not gladly.)

Het zou niet lang duren als...
It would not last long if...

Hij gaat niet met de trein.
He is not going by train.

Ik wil er niet meer aan denken.
I don't want to think about it any more.

Zij zijn niet zo laat aangekomen.
They didn't arrive so (that) late.

Zo veel geld heb ik niet nodig.
I don't need that much money.(So much money have I not necessary.)

*****In many sentences NIET combines with an adjective or adverb to render one thought unit: NIET MEER(no longer), NOG NIET(not yet), NIET ZO(not so), NIET ERG(not very)*****.

RULE IV: In sentences that end with an inactive verb form(infinitive or past participle) or a seperable prefix, NIET is generally placed immediately before them:
Ik had hem niet kunnen vinden.
I had not been able to find him.

Hij had zijn broodje niet opgegeten.
He had not eaten his sandwich.

Zij wil morgen niet komen.
She doesn't want to come tomorrow.

Het plan ging niet door.
The plan did not go through.

RULE V: In sentences in which one clause has Type III word order, NIET is placed immediately before the verb form(s) at the end of that clause:
Ik weet dat hij niet komen wil.
I know that he doesn't want to come.

Ik weet dat Piet dat boek niet vertaald had.
I know that Piet had not translated that book.

Zijn zoon is tandarts, als ik me niet vergis.
His son is a dentist, if I am not mistaken.

RULE VI: Many English sentances negate the verb, while the equivalent Dutch sentence negates the direct object, using the adjective GEEN(no, not any):
Hij heeft geen geld.
He doesn't have any money.(OR: He has no money).

Spreek je geen Nederlands?
Don't you speak any Dutch?
I don't know about how my fellow students feel, but all of this seems like a lot of particulars information about one, little word(NIET) :(...Let us hope, however, that our use of NIET will become "second nature" to use, as we continue exposing ourselves to the Dutch language :)...

Friendship Friday 10th of February 2006 03:14:31 AM
More Dutch Word Order info.... - Hello everyone,
I recently discovered some superb :) information on this topic, at dutchgrammar.com..There is a section there which talks about Dutch Word Order in Dutch sentences at length, and graphically illustrates this complicated(until we learn it!) Word Order...
In general terms, there are three main parts of a main clause, in Dutch.
1. THE LEFT PART-
This part begins with the finite form(=subject+finite verb). Other components in the left part are the reflexive pronoun and the personal pronoun and the reduced (in)direct object.

2. THE MIDDLE PART-
In the middle you will find TIME, PLACE, MANNER, and the direct object.

3. THE RIGHT PART-
This part ends in the OV(other verb(s). Other components in this part are, among others, the indirect object, the complement, and the (separated) prefix of a separable compound verb.
I hope that this information helps other Dutch students feel more confident in attempting to write Dutch sentences :).
Dag...

Phrasebase Archive
	Friendship	Friday 03rd of February 2006 01:52:42 AM
	Dutch word order in sentences. - Hello fellow Dutch students, I am presenting this information to newbies because it will make it much easier for you to write correct Dutch sentences. Trust me, and learn from my mistakes:)... After studying Dutch intensely for two years now,I neglected to study the very important topic of "How to arrange Dutch words correctly in a sentence". Therefore, although I now know alot about grammar, and many Dutch words, I still find it very difficult to construct even simple Dutch sentences. If I had simply spent a little time, at the beginning of my studies, to learn more about Dutch word order in sentences, I would have saved myself a lot of needless heartache, and have progressed much faster in mastering the language:). Dutch sentences employ three basic types of word order: The position of the working(conjugated) verb provides the focal point for their description. TYPE I: In most Dutch sentences, the working(conjugated) verb occupies second position. The subject of the sentence normally, but not always, takes first position. If some element other than the subject begins the sentence, the subject is regularly placed immediately after the working verb. Inactive verb forms(infinitives and past participles)come at the end of the sentence. Sequence 1: Subject, working verb(in CAPS),..., infinitive/participle Ik HELP hem. I help(am helping) him. Hij ZAL ons helpen. He will help us. Het kind WIL met de kat spelen. The child wants to play with the cat. Ik HEB hem gisteren opgebeld I called him yesterday. Ik HEB hem vaak moeten helpen. I often had to help him. Sequence 2: First element(not the subject), working verb(in CAPS), subject,...,infinitive/participle Wanneer KOMT hij terug? When is he comming back? Morgen MOETEN wij vertrekken. We must leave tomorrow. Met wie HEBT u daarover gesproken? With whom did you talk about it? In de krant HEB ik dat artikel gelezen. It was in the newspaper that I read that article. Deze man WIL ik niet helpen. I do not want to help this man. Omdat het zo hard regent, BLIJVEN wij thuis. Since it is raining so hard, we are staying home. Please note that almost any element may occupy first sentence position: question words, adverbs, prepositional phrases, object nouns and pronouns, or even an entire clause. Sentence elements with significant information value are often assigned first position as are those ideas a speaker or writer wishes to emphasize. Type II: In yes-and-no questions the working verb stands in fist position, followed by the subject. The working verb also occupies first position in commands. If a subject is expressed, it follows the verb. Inactive verb forms(infinitives and past participles) occupy last position. Sequence: Working verb(in CAPS), subject,..., infinitive/participle. Zijn Piet en Ineke al thuis? Are Piet and Ineke home already? GA jij met hem mee! You go along with him! TYPE III: In dependent clauses the working verb comes at the end of the clause. Inactive verb forms generally precede the working verb, although they are sometimes placed after it. This is largely a question of usage and style and need not concern the beginner. There are several kinds of dependent clauses. Dat is de man, aan wie ik het boek GAF. That is the man to whom I gave the book. Wij maken een wandeltocht, omdat het mooi weer IS. We are taking a walk because the weather is so nice. Good Luck!
	Friendship	Saturday 04th of February 2006 02:04:56 AM
	Where to place a negative... - ***Taking our study of word order in Dutch sentences further, let us now go on to study the question of negation(which is complex in any language :(...)*: RULE I: In simple sentences the negative NIET(not) comes last when the whole sentence is negated: Ik weet het niet. I don't know(it). Hij ziet onze vrienden niet. He doesn't see our friends. Kom je of kom je niet? Are you comming or aren't you? RULE II: In sentences where a predicate adjective follows the verb "to be", NIET immediately precedes the predicate adjective: Ik ben niet rijk. I am not wealthy. Hij was niet dapper. He was not brave. RULE III: When NIET negates one specific sentence element, it precedes that element: Hij speelt niet goed. He does not play well. Hij heeft niet goed gespeeld. He did not play well. Dat doe ik niet graag. I don't like to do that.(literally:That I do not gladly.) Het zou niet lang duren als... It would not last long if... Hij gaat niet met de trein. He is not going by train. Ik wil er niet meer aan denken. I don't want to think about it any more. Zij zijn niet zo laat aangekomen. They didn't arrive so (that) late. Zo veel geld heb ik niet nodig. I don't need that much money.(So much money have I not necessary.) *In many sentences NIET combines with an adjective or adverb to render one thought unit: NIET MEER(no longer), NOG NIET(not yet), NIET ZO(not so), NIET ERG(not very)***. RULE IV: In sentences that end with an inactive verb form(infinitive or past participle) or a seperable prefix, NIET is generally placed immediately before them: Ik had hem niet kunnen vinden. I had not been able to find him. Hij had zijn broodje niet opgegeten. He had not eaten his sandwich. Zij wil morgen niet komen. She doesn't want to come tomorrow. Het plan ging niet door. The plan did not go through. RULE V: In sentences in which one clause has Type III word order, NIET is placed immediately before the verb form(s) at the end of that clause: Ik weet dat hij niet komen wil. I know that he doesn't want to come. Ik weet dat Piet dat boek niet vertaald had. I know that Piet had not translated that book. Zijn zoon is tandarts, als ik me niet vergis. His son is a dentist, if I am not mistaken. RULE VI: Many English sentances negate the verb, while the equivalent Dutch sentence negates the direct object, using the adjective GEEN(no, not any): Hij heeft geen geld. He doesn't have any money.(OR: He has no money). Spreek je geen Nederlands? Don't you speak any Dutch? I don't know about how my fellow students feel, but all of this seems like a lot of particulars information about one, little word(NIET) :(...Let us hope, however, that our use of NIET will become "second nature" to use, as we continue exposing ourselves to the Dutch language :)...
	Friendship	Friday 10th of February 2006 03:14:31 AM
	More Dutch Word Order info.... - Hello everyone, I recently discovered some superb :) information on this topic, at dutchgrammar.com..There is a section there which talks about Dutch Word Order in Dutch sentences at length, and graphically illustrates this complicated(until we learn it!) Word Order... In general terms, there are three main parts of a main clause, in Dutch. 1. THE LEFT PART- This part begins with the finite form(=subject+finite verb). Other components in the left part are the reflexive pronoun and the personal pronoun and the reduced (in)direct object. 2. THE MIDDLE PART- In the middle you will find TIME, PLACE, MANNER, and the direct object. 3. THE RIGHT PART- This part ends in the OV(other verb(s). Other components in this part are, among others, the indirect object, the complement, and the (separated) prefix of a separable compound verb. I hope that this information helps other Dutch students feel more confident in attempting to write Dutch sentences :). Dag...