The pattern
In a sentence that starts with the subject, put the frequency word after the conjugated verb (the verb form that changes with the person, like fiets or fietst). A short object pronoun such as het, hem or me normally comes between them.
- From most to least: altijd, meestal, vaak, soms, zelden, nooit. In everyday speech you also hear bijna nooit (almost never).
- Subject, verb, frequency word: Sanne werkt vaak thuis.
- Verb, short pronoun, frequency word: Ik zie hem soms. (More on these pronouns in object pronouns.)
- A second verb usually waits at the end: Ik moet vaak wachten.
- A frequency word can also open the sentence. Then the verb still comes second and the subject follows it: Soms werk ik thuis. The same happens after other openers: Op maandag werk ik altijd thuis. (See inversion.)
- nooit already contains "not", so you don't add niet.
Examples
| Ik fiets altijd naar mijn werk. | I always cycle to work. |
| Sanne neemt meestal de trein. | Sanne usually takes the train. |
| Het regent vaak in november. | It often rains in November. |
| Ahmed werkt soms thuis. | Ahmed sometimes works from home. |
| Mei eet zelden vlees. | Mei rarely eats meat. |
| Joris drinkt nooit koffie. | Joris never drinks coffee. |
| Ik zie hem vaak in de supermarkt. | I often see him in the supermarket. |
| Lotte helpt me altijd. | Lotte always helps me. |
| Bij de huisarts moet ik vaak wachten. | At the GP's I often have to wait. |
Why it works this way
A Dutch main clause keeps a fixed spot for the conjugated verb: second place (see verb second). In a sentence that starts with the subject, English lets always and often slip in front of the verb. Dutch saves that spot for the verb, so the frequency word waits behind it. If you speak German, this will feel familiar.
Short pronouns like het, hem and me are light and unstressed, so they cling to the verb and get there first.
Meaning matters too. Ik drink vaak thee says you drink tea many times. Ik drink meestal thee says tea is your usual choice when you drink something.
Joris rookt niet and Joris rookt nooit can both tell you Joris is not a smoker; nooit adds "at no time". One negative word does the job. Speakers of Spanish or Arabic often add niet anyway, because their languages combine two negatives. Standard Dutch uses one.
Remember: verb, little pronoun, how often. Ik zie hem soms.
Watch out
NotIk altijd fiets naar mijn werk.
SayIk fiets altijd naar mijn werk.
the verb comes straight after ik
NotIk vergeet altijd het.
SayIk vergeet het altijd.
the short pronoun goes before the frequency word
NotSoms ik werk thuis.
SaySoms werk ik thuis.
the verb stays in second place
NotDaan rookt nooit niet.
SayDaan rookt nooit.
nooit already means "not ever"
Quick check
- Fill in the word for "usually": Priya gaat ... met de trein naar Amsterdam.
- Fix the word order, keeping Yara first: Yara altijd komt te laat.
- Fix the word order, keeping ik first: Ik vind soms het moeilijk.
- Mei never cycles in the rain. Remove one word: Mei fietst nooit niet in de regen.
Show the answers
- meestal (usually; it follows the verb gaat)
- Yara komt altijd te laat. (verb second, frequency word right after it)
- Ik vind het soms moeilijk. (the short pronoun het comes before soms)
- Mei fietst nooit in de regen. (remove niet: nooit is already negative)
Use it today
Write four true sentences about your week, each with a different frequency word, for example Ik fiets meestal naar mijn werk or Ik kook zelden. Read them aloud and check that each frequency word comes after the verb.