The pattern
A relative clause usually comes straight after its noun and has its verb at the end. If the noun starts the sentence, the main verb follows directly after the relative clause.
- Build it as noun + die or dat + the rest + verb: de trein die om acht uur vertrekt. For choosing between the two, see Relative pronouns: die and dat.
- When they start the sentence, the noun and its relative clause fill the first place together, so the main verb comes next: De trein die om acht uur vertrekt, heeft vertraging.
- Writers often put a comma where the two verbs meet. It is optional here, but it shows where the relative clause stops.
- When the clause only adds extra information about someone already clear, such as a name or mijn moeder, it is set off with commas: Lotte, die bij de gemeente werkt, helpt ons.
- When the main sentence ends in a verb, the relative clause often moves behind that verb: Priya heeft een fiets gekocht die bijna nieuw is. This is common and correct (more in What can come after the final verbs).
Examples
| De man die daar bij de bushalte staat, is mijn buurman. | The man who is standing at the bus stop over there is my neighbour. |
| De trein die om acht uur vertrekt, heeft twintig minuten vertraging. | The train that leaves at eight is twenty minutes late. |
| Het pakket dat ik vorige week heb besteld, is nog steeds niet bezorgd. | The parcel I ordered last week still hasn't been delivered. |
| Het meisje dat naast ons woont, is morgen jarig. | The girl who lives next door has her birthday tomorrow. |
| Fatima heeft de formulieren die de gemeente stuurde meteen ingevuld. | Fatima immediately filled in the forms that the council sent. |
| Daan zoekt een kamer die dicht bij het station ligt. | Daan is looking for a room close to the station. |
| Lotte, die bij de gemeente werkt, helpt ons met de aanvraag. | Lotte, who works for the council, is helping us with the application. |
| Priya heeft een fiets gekocht die bijna nieuw is. | Priya has bought a bike that is almost new. |
Why it works this way
Think of the noun and its relative clause as one package. A Dutch statement puts its conjugated verb (the verb that changes with the subject, like is or heeft) in second place, right after the first block, however long that block is. That is verb second. De man is one block. De man die daar bij de bushalte staat is also one block, just a longer one. So the main verb waits until the package is closed.
Inside the package, the relative clause behaves like any subordinate clause (a clause that cannot stand on its own): its verb goes to the end. In speech, a phrase with a preposition, such as naar Utrecht, sometimes follows that verb, but putting it before the verb is the safe choice. That final verb works like a closing bracket. When you hear it, the package is done and the next verb belongs to the main sentence. The comma simply marks that spot.
Good news for English speakers: English also puts the main verb after the relative clause ("the man who is standing there is my neighbour"). Only the order inside the clause is different. If you speak German, the word order will feel familiar, so focus on the comma instead: Dutch has no comma before die when the clause tells you which person or thing you mean.
Remember: in De man die daar staat, is mijn buurman, look for verb, comma, verb. The first verb closes the relative clause, the second one carries on with the main sentence.
Watch out
IncorrectoDe buurman die heeft een grote hond, woont op nummer 12.
CorrectoDe buurman die een grote hond heeft, woont op nummer 12.
inside the relative clause, the verb goes to the end, after its object
IncorrectoDe vrouw die naast ons woont, verpleegkundige is.
CorrectoDe vrouw die naast ons woont, is verpleegkundige.
only the relative clause sends its verb to the end; the main verb comes right after it
IncorrectoHet boek ik nu lees, is spannend.
CorrectoHet boek dat ik nu lees, is spannend.
English can drop "that", Dutch cannot drop die or dat
IncorrectoDe huisarts die ik haar gisteren sprak, was heel aardig.
CorrectoDe huisarts die ik gisteren sprak, was heel aardig.
die already stands for the doctor, so no extra haar; a typical slip for Arabic speakers
Quick check
- Put the words in order: De vrouw ..., is onze nieuwe huisarts. (draagt, die, een rode jas)
- Choose: Het formulier dat ik moet invullen, ... . (is erg lang / erg lang is)
- Fill in die or dat: Het pakket ... Bas vorige week heeft besteld, ligt bij de buren.
- Add the commas. You have only one sister: Mijn zus die in Groningen woont komt zaterdag langs.
Ver las respuestas
- De vrouw die een rode jas draagt, is onze nieuwe huisarts. The verb draagt closes the relative clause.
- is erg lang: the main verb comes straight after the relative clause.
- dat: it is het pakket, a het-word.
- Mijn zus, die in Groningen woont, komt zaterdag langs. With only one sister, the clause adds extra information, so it goes between commas.
Use it today
On your next train or bus ride, describe three people around you in your head, with the relative clause in the middle: De vrouw die naast mij zit, leest een boek. Then say one of them quietly out loud and listen for the two verbs meeting.