--- title: "Dat clauses: Ik denk dat..." level: A2 chapter: "Word order" canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/dat-clauses updated: 2026-10-09 author: Dutch Fluency license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) --- # Dat clauses: Ik denk dat... To say what someone thinks, says or knows, Dutch joins two sentences with _dat_: _Ik denk dat het gaat regenen._ Unlike English that, _dat_ cannot be left out. And in the part after _dat_, the verb moves to the end. ## The pattern > Put _dat_ between the two parts when you report a thought, a message or a fact. In the part after _dat_, the verbs move to the end, after the subject, the objects and the time words. - The first part is a normal sentence with the verb in [second place](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/verb-second): _Ik denk_, _Sanne zegt_, _Gelukkig weet ik_. - The part after _dat_ is a subordinate clause: a sentence inside a sentence. Its conjugated verb (the form that matches the subject, like _is_ or _komt_) goes to the end: _dat hij ziek is_. - Two verbs both go to the end: _dat ik morgen moet werken_. In the perfect tense, both orders are correct: _dat ze heeft gebeld_ and _dat ze gebeld heeft_. - A separable verb (a verb like _opbellen_ that splits in a normal sentence) becomes one word again: _dat hij me opbelt_. - _Dat_ stays _dat_, also before a de-word: _Ik denk dat de trein vol is._ - A phrase with a preposition (a word like _met_ or _op_) may come before or after the verb: _dat Mei blij met haar baan is_ and _dat Mei blij is met haar baan_ are both fine. More in What can come after the final verbs. - Useful starters: _ik denk dat_, _ik weet dat_, _ik hoop dat_, _ik vind dat_ (for your opinion), _wat leuk dat_. ## Examples | Ik denk **dat** het vanmiddag **gaat regenen**. | I think it's going to rain this afternoon. | | Sanne zegt **dat** ze morgen niet **komt**. | Sanne says she isn't coming tomorrow. | | Ik weet **dat** de supermarkt op zondag om zes uur **sluit**. | I know the supermarket closes at six on Sundays. | | Daan vindt **dat** de trein vaak te vol **is**. | Daan thinks the train is often too full. | | De huisarts zegt **dat** ik veel water **moet drinken**. | The GP says I have to drink a lot of water. | | Fatima zegt **dat** ze de huur al **heeft betaald**. | Fatima says she has already paid the rent. | | Ik hoop **dat** Bas me vanavond **opbelt**. | I hope Bas calls me tonight. | | Gelukkig zegt Ahmed **dat** hij morgen **kan helpen**. | Luckily, Ahmed says he can help tomorrow. | | Wat fijn **dat** je er **bent**! | How nice that you're here! | ## Why it works this way A helpful way to see it: in English, the second half of I think (that) it's raining keeps its normal word order, so that can disappear without causing confusion. In Dutch, the word order of the second half changes, and _dat_ is the signal for that change. Think of _dat_ as opening a box. The subject, the time words and the objects go in, and the verb closes the lid. You already know this box from _omdat_ and _als_ (see subordinate clauses). _Dat_ is one of the most frequent box openers of all. If you want to avoid _dat_, you have to build a different sentence: put _denk ik_ at the end (_Het gaat regenen, denk ik._) or quote the words directly (_Sanne zegt: "Ik kom niet."_). Remember: _dat_ opens the box, the verb closes it. ## Watch out - Not: _Ik denk het gaat regenen._ Say: _Ik denk dat het gaat regenen._ (English drops that, Dutch keeps _dat_) - Not: _Ik weet dat hij is ziek._ Say: _Ik weet dat hij ziek is._ (the verb goes to the end) - Not: _Sanne zegt dat ze komt morgen._ Say: _Sanne zegt dat ze morgen komt._ (time words come before the final verb) - Not: _Ik hoop dat Daan belt me op._ Say: _Ik hoop dat Daan me opbelt._ (a separable verb joins up at the end) - Not: _Komt Bas ook? Ik denk zo._ Say: _Komt Bas ook? Ik denk het wel._ (for I think so, Dutch uses _het_) ## Quick check 1. Fill in the gap: _Ik denk ... de bus vandaag later komt._ 2. Put the words in the right order: _Joris zegt dat ... (is, ziek, hij)._ 3. Fix the sentence: _Ik weet dat Mei heeft een nieuwe fiets._ 4. Choose the right form: _Ik hoop dat Yara ... (komt mee / meekomt)._ ## Answers 1. _dat_: Dutch cannot leave it out. 2. _hij ziek is_: subject first, verb last. 3. _Ik weet dat Mei een nieuwe fiets heeft._ The verb _heeft_ moves to the end. 4. _meekomt_: the separable verb is one word again at the end. ## Use it today Check the weather app tonight and say three sentences out loud about tomorrow: one starting with _Ik denk dat_, one with _Ik hoop dat_ and one with _Ik vind dat_. Check that each verb waits until the end. Next up: [Weet jij of...?](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/indirect-questions) ## Questions learners ask **Can you leave out dat in Dutch like "that" in English?** No. In standard Dutch, Ik denk dat het regent needs dat. To avoid it, you have to change the sentence, for example: Het regent, denk ik. **Where does the verb go after dat in Dutch?** The verb moves to the end of the dat part, after the subject, objects and time words: Ik weet dat hij morgen komt. With two verbs, both go to the end: dat ze heeft gebeld or dat ze gebeld heeft. **How do you say "I think so" in Dutch?** Say Ik denk het wel or Ik denk van wel. For "I don't think so", say Ik denk het niet or Ik denk van niet. Ik denk zo is a common mistake by English speakers. From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.