Word order
Dutch uses SOV (subject - object - verb) order in combination with a V2 (verb-second) order what makes the order SVOV subject - verb - object - verb.
The non-finite stays in the last position but the finite verb is moved to the second position. This makes the order when there is only one verb present an SVO (subject - verb - object) order or possibly a VSO (verb - subject - object) order:
Klaas wilt het huis kopen (Klaas want to buy the house)
Klaas (subject) wilt (verb) het huis (object) kopen (verb)
Melissa zat op de visite te wachten (Melissa was waiting for the visit)
Melissa (subject) zat (verb) op de visite (object) te wachten (verb)
James ontkende zijn fouten (James denied his mistakes)
James (subject) ontkende (verb) zijn fouten (object)
Wij kijken naar de televisie (we watch to the television)
Wij (subject) kijken (verb) naar de televisie (object)
Vechtend keken de vrouwen naar de kleding (fighting the women looked at the clothes)
Vechtend (verb) keken (verb) de vrouwen (subject) naar de kleding (object)
Lopend gingen we naar de winkel (walking we went to the store)
Lopend (verb) gingen (verb) we (subject) naar de winkel (object)
In many cases, other verbs are placed at the end of an SOV order. They can be either verbs or verbal participles, which make various verbs repeat:
De jongens zouden de regels moeten breken en doorgaan (the boys should break the rules and continue)
De jongens (subject) zouden (verb) de regels (object) moeten (verb) breken (verb) en doorgaan (verb)
The order is principally SOV for subordinate clauses. The verbs in these orders can be used in two ways: where the auxiliary verb goes after the past participle and where the auxiliary verb comes before the past participle:
Dit is waarom we dat gedaan hebben (this is why we have done it)
Dit is waarom we het hebben gedaan (this is why we have done it)
Dit is waarom we dat gedaan (past participle) hebben (auxiliary verb)
Dit is waarom we het hebben (auxiliary verb) gedaan (past participle)
Both forms are used in the written language, though sentences where the auxiliary verb goes after the past participle are the most commonly used in daily spoken language.
When adjectives and adverbs are mentioned, they usually come before both auxiliary verbs and past participles:
Omdat we dat moeilijk vonden (because we found it hard)
Aangezien ze dit raar gevonden hebben (because of that they would have found it strange)
For questions, in most cases verbs go first:
Gingen we naar de tuin? (did we go to the garden?)
Gingen (verb) we (subject) naar de tuin? (object)
Zullen ze het halen? (will they make it?)
Zullen (verb) ze (subject) het halen? (object)
This is not always necessary, in fewer cases the verb may come second:
De mensen liepen weg? (the people walked away)
De mensen (subject) liepen (verb) weg? (object)
Haar dochters rende drie rondjes? (her daughters ran three rounds?)
Haar dochters (subject) rende (verb) drie rondjes? (object)
In imperative sentences, the verbs usually go in the first position except for when a noun or noun phrase is being mentioned at the beginning:
Laten we je schoenen aan doen (let us put your shoes on)
Laten (verb) we (subject) je schoenen aan doen (object)
Gaat u alstublieft uit de weg! (please go out of the way)
Gaat (verb) u (subject) alstublieft uit de weg! (object)
Doe je oordopjes in (put on your earplugs)
Doe (verb) je oordopjes (subject) in (object)
Willem, doe je oordopjes in (Willem, put on your earplugs)
Willem, (noun) doe (verb) je oordopjes (subject) in (object)
Something very important that should be taken into account is that adpositional phrases generally have a time - manner - place order. This means that time modifiers mainly go before modifiers of manner and place:
De honden waren in januari naar de dierenarts (the dogs went to the vet in January)
Wij liepen ’s middags over de brug (we walked over the bridge in the afternoon)