---
title: "Grammar words you need, in English and Dutch"
level: A1
chapter: "Start here"
canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/grammar-terms
updated: 2026-10-08
author: Dutch Fluency
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
---

# Grammar words you need, in English and Dutch

Dutch has its own words for grammar, and you will hear them in every NT2 class and textbook: _onderwerp_ for subject, _werkwoord_ for verb, _bijzin_ for subordinate clause. Learn about ten of them, each with its _de_ or _het_, and an instruction like _Zet het werkwoord aan het eind van de bijzin_ (put the verb at the end of the subordinate clause) suddenly makes sense.

## The pattern

> Learn the Dutch name of each English grammar term together with its article. A few terms, like infinitive, have more than one Dutch name.

- subject = _het onderwerp_ (who or what the verb says something about: who does the action, or who is in a state, like _Bas_ in _Bas is ziek_)
- verb = _het werkwoord_ (the word for an action or state, like _werken_ or _zijn_)
- noun = _het zelfstandig naamwoord_ (a word for a person, thing or idea, like _fiets_)
- adjective = _het bijvoeglijk naamwoord_ (a describing word, like _groot_)
- article = _het lidwoord_ (_de_, _het_ or _een_)
- stem = _de stam_ (the short form you usually use with _ik_, like _werk_ in _ik werk_)
- infinitive = _het hele werkwoord_ or _de infinitief_ (the dictionary form: _werken_)
- past participle = _het voltooid deelwoord_ (the form in _ik heb gewerkt_)
- main clause = _de hoofdzin_ (a clause that can stand on its own as a sentence)
- subordinate clause = _de bijzin_ (a clause that leans on the main clause, often starting with _dat_ or _omdat_)

## Examples

| **Daan** fietst naar zijn werk. | Daan cycles to work. (subject) |
| Fatima **woont** in Rotterdam. | Fatima lives in Rotterdam. (verb) |
| Ik koop **brood** bij de bakker. | I buy bread at the baker's. (noun) |
| Ik heb een **nieuwe** fiets. | I have a new bike. (adjective) |
| **De** trein heeft vertraging. | The train is delayed. (article) |
| Ik **werk** in Amsterdam. | I work in Amsterdam. (stem) |
| Mei wil Nederlands **leren**. | Mei wants to learn Dutch. (infinitive) |
| Ahmed heeft hard **gewerkt**. | Ahmed has worked hard. (past participle) |
| **Lotte blijft thuis** omdat ze ziek is. | Lotte is staying at home because she is ill. (main clause) |
| Ik weet **dat Yara jarig is**. | I know that it is Yara's birthday. (subordinate clause) |

## Why it works this way

Many of these terms are Latin terms translated piece by piece into plain Dutch, so they explain themselves. _Onderwerp_ is _onder_ (under) plus _werpen_ (to throw), copied from Latin subiectum, which also gave English the word subject. A _werkwoord_ is literally a work word: it does the work in the sentence. _Zelfstandig_ means independent, and _bijvoeglijk_ comes from _bijvoegen_ (to add): the adjective is added to the noun.

A _hoofdzin_ is a head sentence, a _bijzin_ a side sentence with its own word order (see Subordinate clauses: the verb goes to the end). _Voltooid_ means completed. English says "to work", but the Dutch _hele werkwoord_ is just _werken_, and its _stam_ is _werk_ (more in [Finding the stem of a verb](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/verb-stem)).

You will also hear _de persoonsvorm_: the verb that changes with the person, like _werkt_ in _Daan werkt_. If you speak German, _hoofdzin_ and _bijzin_ are your Hauptsatz and Nebensatz.

Remember: _woord_ is a het-word, and a compound normally takes the article of its last part, so the terms in this lesson built on _woord_ are het-words too: _het werkwoord_, _het lidwoord_, _het voltooid deelwoord_. Terms built on _zin_ take _de_: _de hoofdzin_, _de bijzin_. See [Compound nouns take the article of the last part](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/compound-gender).

## Watch out

- Not: _de werkwoord_ Say: _het werkwoord_ (_woord_ is a het-word, so _lidwoord_ and _naamwoord_ are too)
- Not: _Ik werken in Utrecht._ Say: _Ik werk in Utrecht._ (after _ik_ comes the _stam_ _werk_, not the _hele werkwoord_)
- Not: _Ik wil koffie drink._ Say: _Ik wil koffie drinken._ (after _wil_ comes the _hele werkwoord_)
- Not: _Ik blijf thuis omdat ik ben ziek._ Say: _Ik blijf thuis omdat ik ziek ben._ (in a _bijzin_ the verb goes to the end)

## Quick check

1. Fill in _de_ or _het_: _... lidwoord_
2. What is the _onderwerp_ in _Joris fietst naar het station_?
3. Give the _hele werkwoord_ of _ik fiets_.
4. Which part of _Ik weet dat Bas ziek is_ is the _bijzin_?

## Answers

1. _het lidwoord_ (_woord_ is a het-word)
2. _Joris_ (the verb _fietst_ says something about Joris)
3. _fietsen_ (the dictionary form of the verb in _ik fiets_; the spelling can change in other verbs, as in _ik woon_ and _wonen_)
4. _dat Bas ziek is_ (it starts with _dat_ and the verb _is_ goes to the end)

## Use it today

Take one Dutch sentence from your textbook, a letter from the _gemeente_ or a sign at the station. Point out its _onderwerp_, its _werkwoord_ and any _lidwoord_, and name each one out loud in Dutch.

## Questions learners ask

**What does onderwerp mean in Dutch grammar?**

Onderwerp means subject: the person or thing the verb says something about, like Sanne in "Sanne werkt" or Bas in "Bas is ziek". It is a het-word, so you say het onderwerp.

**What is the difference between a hoofdzin and a bijzin?**

A hoofdzin is a main clause that can stand on its own. A bijzin is a subordinate clause, often starting with dat or omdat, and its verb goes to the end, as in "omdat ik ziek ben".

**Is it de werkwoord or het werkwoord?**

It is het werkwoord, because woord is a het-word and a compound normally takes the article of its last part. The same goes for het lidwoord, het zelfstandig naamwoord and het voltooid deelwoord.

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