---
title: "Starting with the object for emphasis or contrast"
level: B2
chapter: "Word order"
canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/fronting-for-emphasis
updated: 2026-10-09
author: Dutch Fluency
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
---

# Starting with the object for emphasis or contrast

In Dutch you can start a main clause with the object (the person or thing the action is aimed at), or with almost any other part, to put it in the spotlight or to contrast it with something. The conjugated verb (the form that matches the subject, like _heb_ or _vond_) stays in second place, so the subject moves behind it: _Dat boek heb ik al gelezen._ In everyday speech this happens all the time with _die_ and _dat_, which point back to something that was just said.

## The pattern

> Put the part you want to focus on, contrast or link back to in position one, the slot before the verb. The conjugated verb stays in position two, and the subject comes after it.

- Neutral order: _Ik vond die film saai._
- With focus: _Die film vond ik saai._
- Almost any sentence part can go first: an object, a time, place or manner phrase (_op de fiets_), even an adjective.
- Only one part goes before the verb. Linking words like _en_, _maar_ and _want_ don't count.
- In speech, position one is very often _die_ or _dat_, referring back to what was just mentioned.
- This works in main clauses. After _omdat_, _als_ or _terwijl_, the verb goes to the end as usual (see [Omdat or want](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/omdat-or-want)).

## Examples

| **Dat boek** heb ik al gelezen, maar het tweede deel nog niet. | I've already read that book, but not the second part yet. |
| **Die film** vond ik eerlijk gezegd een beetje saai. | To be honest, I found that film a bit boring. |
| Joris van hiernaast? **Die** heb ik al weken niet gezien. | Joris next door? I haven't seen him for weeks. |
| **Dat** weet ik niet, vraag het maar even aan Daan. | I don't know, just ask Daan. |
| **Koffie** drink ik niet meer, thee wel. | I don't drink coffee anymore, but I do drink tea. |
| **Op de fiets** ben ik er in tien minuten. | By bike I'm there in ten minutes. |
| **Moe** ben ik niet, ik heb alleen honger. | I'm not tired, I'm just hungry. |
| **Dat formulier** kun je ook online invullen. | You can also fill in that form online. |
| **De offerte** ontvangt u uiterlijk vrijdag. | You will receive the quote by Friday at the latest. |

## Why it works this way

Dutch has one firm rule for main clauses: the conjugated verb sits in second place ([Verb second: the golden rule](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/verb-second)). The first slot is free, and speakers fill it with whatever makes the best bridge from the previous sentence. Very often that is not the subject.

Say Priya asks: _Heb je de mail van Lotte al gelezen?_ The natural reply is _Ja, die heb ik vanochtend gelezen._ The word _die_ picks up the mail you were both just talking about, and the new information, _vanochtend_, comes later. Known information first, news later: that is a strong tendency rather than a law, but it explains most of the fronting you will hear.

Contrast follows the same logic. In _Koffie drink ik niet meer, thee wel_, both _koffie_ and _thee_ get stress, so the listener hears the opposition straight away.

English can front an object too (That one I've read), but it sounds marked. In Dutch it is completely ordinary. In this slot, speakers usually choose _die_ and _dat_ rather than _hem_, and object _het_ is not possible there at all (more in [Die and dat instead of hij and het in speech](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/die-and-dat-in-speech)). In relaxed speech you will even hear the topic named first and then picked up again: _Die nieuwe collega, die heb ik gisteren gesproken._ The first part stands outside the sentence, followed by a tiny pause.

Remember: seat two belongs to the verb. If anything other than the subject takes seat one, the subject sits down after the verb.

## Watch out

- Not: _Die film ik vond echt saai._ Say: _Die film vond ik echt saai._ (the verb stays second, so _ik_ moves behind it)
- Not: _Het heb ik al gedaan._ Say: _Dat heb ik al gedaan._ (object _het_ cannot open a sentence, so use _dat_)
- Not: _Dat boek heb ik het al gelezen._ Say: _Dat boek heb ik al gelezen._ (don't repeat the fronted object with a pronoun, a habit from Spanish and Arabic)
- Not: _Ik kom niet mee, omdat die film heb ik al gezien._ Say: _Ik kom niet mee, want die film heb ik al gezien._ (after _omdat_ the verb goes to the end, while _want_ keeps main clause order)

## Quick check

1. Keep _Die jas_ at the start and fix the word order: _Die jas ik heb gisteren in de uitverkoop gekocht._
2. Mei asks: _Weet jij hoe laat het gemeentehuis vandaag sluit?_ You answer: _Nee, ... weet ik niet._ (choose _dat_ or _het_)
3. Rewrite the sentence starting with _de huur_: _Ik betaal de huur altijd op de eerste van de maand._
4. Fill in _ben ik_ or _ik ben_: _Met de trein ... er in twintig minuten, met de auto duurt het veel langer._

## Answers

1. _Die jas heb ik gisteren in de uitverkoop gekocht._ (the verb stays second, so _ik_ follows it)
2. _dat_ (object _het_ cannot stand in position one)
3. _De huur betaal ik altijd op de eerste van de maand._ (object first, then the verb, then the subject)
4. _ben ik_ (_Met de trein_ fills position one, so the subject follows the verb)

## Use it today

When someone asks whether you know, have seen or have done something, answer with _die_ or _dat_ in first position: _Dat weet ik niet_, _Die heb ik al gezien_, _Dat heb ik gisteren gedaan_. Aim for three of these before the day is over.

## Questions learners ask

**Can you start a Dutch sentence with the object?**

Yes. You can put the object first to focus on it or contrast it, but the conjugated verb must stay in second place, so the subject comes after the verb, as in Die film vond ik saai.

**Why do Dutch people say "Dat weet ik niet" instead of "Ik weet het niet"?**

Both are correct. Dat weet ik niet puts dat first to link back to the question you were just asked, and because object het cannot stand in first position, dat is used there.

**Why does the subject come after the verb in "Dat boek heb ik al gelezen"?**

Dutch main clauses keep the conjugated verb in second position. When something other than the subject fills the first position, the subject moves to a place after the verb.

From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.