--- title: "En, maar, of, want, dus" level: A2 chapter: "Word order" canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/coordinating-conjunctions updated: 2026-10-09 author: Dutch Fluency license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) --- # En, maar, of, want, dus _En_ (and), _maar_ (but), _of_ (or), _want_ (because) and _dus_ (so) link two complete sentences without changing their word order: _Ik ben moe, want ik heb slecht geslapen._ The second sentence carries on as if it stood on its own, usually with the subject first and the verb second. _Dus_ is the flexible one: the verb can also come straight after it. ## The pattern > _En_, _maar_, _of_ and _want_ connect two main clauses (sentences that could stand on their own) without changing the word order of either one. _Dus_ can do the same, or it can pull the verb forward. - The grammar term is coordinating conjunctions: words that link two equal parts. - The linking word does not take a position. What follows is a normal sentence with the verb in second place: _maar ik heb_, _want het regent_. - If something other than the subject comes next, such as _dan_ or _morgen_, it takes first place and the verb follows it: _en dan ga ik_. - After _en_, _maar_ and _of_ you can drop a repeated subject (the person doing the action) when the second sentence would start with it: _Ik sta op en ga naar mijn werk._ - After _want_ you cannot drop just the repeated subject, and in sentences like the ones in this lesson you keep it after _dus_ too: _want ik ben moe_, _dus ik ga naar huis_. - After _dus_ you choose: _dus ik ga_ or _dus ga ik_. ## Examples | Ik ben moe, **want ik heb** slecht geslapen. | I'm tired, because I slept badly. | | Fatima werkt bij de gemeente **en haar man is** huisarts. | Fatima works for the municipality and her husband is a GP. | | Ik wil graag komen, **maar ik heb** vanavond geen tijd. | I'd love to come, but I don't have time tonight. | | Ik bel je vanavond **of ik stuur** je een berichtje. | I'll call you tonight or I'll send you a message. | | Het regent, **dus ik neem** de bus. | It's raining, so I'm taking the bus. | | Het regent, **dus neem ik** de bus. | It's raining, so I'm taking the bus. | | Daan staat om zeven uur op **en fietst** naar zijn werk. | Daan gets up at seven and cycles to work. | | Priya is verkouden **maar gaat** toch naar de verjaardag van Joris. | Priya has a cold but is still going to Joris's birthday. | | Ahmed is naar de supermarkt gegaan **en heeft** melk gekocht. | Ahmed went to the supermarket and bought milk. | ## Why it works this way Picture a Dutch train: two carriages with a coupling between them. _En_, _maar_, _of_ and _want_ are the coupling. They connect the carriages, but they never take a seat, so each carriage keeps its own seating plan. The second sentence starts fresh and follows the usual [verb second](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/verb-second) rule. _Dus_ is a coupling that sometimes slips into the first seat. When it does, it behaves like _daarom_ (that's why), one of the [linking words that invert](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/linking-adverbs), and the verb sits right next to it: _dus neem ik de bus_. When it stays a coupling, you get normal order: _dus ik neem de bus_. Both are correct. In speech you hear _dus ik_ constantly; in writing you will see both. _Dus_ can even sit inside the sentence: _Ik neem dus de bus._ If you speak English, _want_ feels easy, because English because doesn't change the order either. Mind the meaning, though: _want_ has nothing to do with wanting. For that you need _willen_: _Ik wil koffie._ The trickier word is _omdat_, which also means because but sends the verb to the end, as you will see in [Omdat or want](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/omdat-or-want). _Of_ has a second job too: in _Ik weet niet of hij komt_ it means whether, and then the verb goes to the end. Remember: _en_, _maar_, _of_ and _want_ are couplings, never passengers. _Dus_ can be either. ## Watch out - Not: _Ik ben moe, want heb ik slecht geslapen._ Say: _Ik ben moe, want ik heb slecht geslapen._ (_want_ takes no position, so there is no inversion) - Not: _Ik blijf thuis, want ik ziek ben._ Say: _Ik blijf thuis, want ik ben ziek._ (that is _omdat_ order; after _want_ the verb stays second) - Not: _Daan blijft thuis, want is ziek._ Say: _Daan blijft thuis, want hij is ziek._ (after _want_ you cannot leave out just the repeated subject) - Not: _Ik eet eerst en dan ik ga naar bed._ Say: _Ik eet eerst en dan ga ik naar bed._ (_dan_ takes first place, so the verb follows it) ## Quick check 1. Fix the sentence: _Ik ga vroeg naar bed, want ben moe._ 2. Fill in _want_, _maar_ or _dus_: _Bas wil graag naar het feest, ... hij moet werken._ 3. Fix the sentence: _We eten eerst en dan we gaan naar de film._ 4. Choose: _Ik heb de trein gemist, ..._ (a) _dus ik kom te laat_ (b) _dus kom ik te laat_ (c) both are correct ## Answers 1. _Ik ga vroeg naar bed, want ik ben moe._ (after _want_ you cannot leave out just the subject) 2. _maar_ (the second part is a contrast) 3. _We eten eerst en dan gaan we naar de film._ (_dan_ takes first place, so the verb comes next) 4. (c) (after _dus_ both orders are correct) ## Use it today Send a friend or colleague a short message in Dutch about your weekend plans, with one sentence using _want_, one using _maar_ and one using _dus_. For example: _Zaterdag ga ik naar de markt, want ik heb geen groente meer._ ## Questions learners ask **Does want change the word order in Dutch?** No. After want the sentence keeps normal order, with the subject first and then the verb: Ik blijf thuis, want ik ben ziek. Omdat, which also means because, is different: it sends the verb to the end. **Is it dus ik ga or dus ga ik in Dutch?** Both are correct. You can keep normal order (dus ik ga naar huis) or put the verb straight after dus (dus ga ik naar huis); normal order is very common in speech. **When can you leave out the subject after en or maar in Dutch?** After en, maar and of you can drop the subject when it is the same as in the first sentence and would come right after the linking word: Daan staat op en fietst naar zijn werk. After want you cannot leave out just the subject, so say want hij is ziek, and in ordinary sentences with dus you keep the subject too. From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.