Dutch has its own words for grammar, and you will hear them in every NT2 class and textbook: _onderwerp_ for subject, _werkwoord_ for verb, _bijzin_ for subordinate clause. Learn about ten of them, each with its _de_ or _het_, and an instruction like _Zet het werkwoord aan het eind van de bijzin_ (put the verb at the end of the subordinate clause) suddenly makes sense.
The pattern
Learn the Dutch name of each English grammar term together with its article. A few terms, like infinitive, have more than one Dutch name.
- subject = _het onderwerp_ (who or what the verb says something about: who does the action, or who is in a state, like _Bas_ in _Bas is ziek_)
- verb = _het werkwoord_ (the word for an action or state, like _werken_ or _zijn_)
- noun = _het zelfstandig naamwoord_ (a word for a person, thing or idea, like _fiets_)
- adjective = _het bijvoeglijk naamwoord_ (a describing word, like _groot_)
- article = _het lidwoord_ (_de_, _het_ or _een_)
- stem = _de stam_ (the short form you usually use with _ik_, like _werk_ in _ik werk_)
- infinitive = _het hele werkwoord_ or _de infinitief_ (the dictionary form: _werken_)
- past participle = _het voltooid deelwoord_ (the form in _ik heb gewerkt_)
- main clause = _de hoofdzin_ (a clause that can stand on its own as a sentence)
- subordinate clause = _de bijzin_ (a clause that leans on the main clause, often starting with _dat_ or _omdat_)
Examples
| Daan fietst naar zijn werk. | Daan cycles to work. (subject) |
|---|---|
| Fatima woont in Rotterdam. | Fatima lives in Rotterdam. (verb) |
| Ik koop brood bij de bakker. | I buy bread at the baker's. (noun) |
| Ik heb een nieuwe fiets. | I have a new bike. (adjective) |
| De trein heeft vertraging. | The train is delayed. (article) |
| Ik werk in Amsterdam. | I work in Amsterdam. (stem) |
| Mei wil Nederlands leren. | Mei wants to learn Dutch. (infinitive) |
| Ahmed heeft hard gewerkt. | Ahmed has worked hard. (past participle) |
| Lotte blijft thuis omdat ze ziek is. | Lotte is staying at home because she is ill. (main clause) |
| Ik weet dat Yara jarig is. | I know that it is Yara's birthday. (subordinate clause) |
Why it works this way
Many of these terms are Latin terms translated piece by piece into plain Dutch, so they explain themselves. _Onderwerp_ is _onder_ (under) plus _werpen_ (to throw), copied from Latin subiectum, which also gave English the word subject. A _werkwoord_ is literally a work word: it does the work in the sentence. _Zelfstandig_ means independent, and _bijvoeglijk_ comes from _bijvoegen_ (to add): the adjective is added to the noun.
A _hoofdzin_ is a head sentence, a _bijzin_ a side sentence with its own word order (see [Subordinate clauses: the verb goes to the end](#/lesson/subordinate-clauses)). _Voltooid_ means completed. English says "to work", but the Dutch _hele werkwoord_ is just _werken_, and its _stam_ is _werk_ (more in [Finding the stem of a verb](#/lesson/verb-stem)).
You will also hear _de persoonsvorm_: the verb that changes with the person, like _werkt_ in _Daan werkt_. If you speak German, _hoofdzin_ and _bijzin_ are your Hauptsatz and Nebensatz.
Remember: _woord_ is a het-word, and a compound normally takes the article of its last part, so the terms in this lesson built on _woord_ are het-words too: _het werkwoord_, _het lidwoord_, _het voltooid deelwoord_. Terms built on _zin_ take _de_: _de hoofdzin_, _de bijzin_. See [Compound nouns take the article of the last part](#/lesson/compound-gender).
Watch out
- Not: _de werkwoord_ Say: _het werkwoord_ (_woord_ is a het-word, so _lidwoord_ and _naamwoord_ are too)
- Not: _Ik werken in Utrecht._ Say: _Ik werk in Utrecht._ (after _ik_ comes the _stam_ _werk_, not the _hele werkwoord_)
- Not: _Ik wil koffie drink._ Say: _Ik wil koffie drinken._ (after _wil_ comes the _hele werkwoord_)
- Not: _Ik blijf thuis omdat ik ben ziek._ Say: _Ik blijf thuis omdat ik ziek ben._ (in a _bijzin_ the verb goes to the end)
Quick check
- Fill in _de_ or _het_: _... lidwoord_
- What is the _onderwerp_ in _Joris fietst naar het station_?
- Give the _hele werkwoord_ of _ik fiets_.
- Which part of _Ik weet dat Bas ziek is_ is the _bijzin_?
Answers
- _het lidwoord_ (_woord_ is a het-word)
- _Joris_ (the verb _fietst_ says something about Joris)
- _fietsen_ (the dictionary form of the verb in _ik fiets_; the spelling can change in other verbs, as in _ik woon_ and _wonen_)
- _dat Bas ziek is_ (it starts with _dat_ and the verb _is_ goes to the end)
Use it today
Take one Dutch sentence from your textbook, a letter from the _gemeente_ or a sign at the station. Point out its _onderwerp_, its _werkwoord_ and any _lidwoord_, and name each one out loud in Dutch.