Main clauses and yes/no questions

1. Two sentence types: main clause and yes/no question

In this unit you work with two very common sentence types:

• Hoofdzin (main clause): a normal statement.
• Ja/nee-vraag (yes/no question): a question you can answer with ja or nee.

The words are the same. Only the order changes.

Type	Word order	Example
Hoofdzin	subject – verb – rest	Ik woon in Utrecht.
Ja/nee-vraag	verb – subject – rest	Woon ik in Utrecht?

2. Step 1: Find subject, verb and “rest”

First, see the three main parts in a simple Dutch sentence:

• Subject (who or what does the action?) – often: ik, jij, hij, zij, wij, jullie, u, Jan, mijn collega, …
• Verb (the conjugated verb) – for example: woon, woont, is, zijn, werk, werkt.
• Rest (everything after the verb) – place, time, object, etc.

Sentence	Subject	Verb	Rest
Ik woon in Utrecht.	Ik	woon	in Utrecht
Jan leest een boek in zijn kamer.	Jan	leest	een boek in zijn kamer
Wij werken morgen thuis.	Wij	werken	morgen thuis

Self-check: Can you point to the subject, verb and rest in the examples from your book?

3. Main clause: subject – verb – rest

In a simple main clause, the rule is very stable:

• 1st position: subject
• 2nd position: verb
• Then: the rest

Examples:

• Ik kom uit Engeland.
• Ik woon nu in Utrecht.
• Jan leest een boek in zijn kamer.

Keep the verb very early in the sentence (2nd position). That is typical Dutch.

4. Yes/no questions: verb – subject – rest

For a yes/no question, you move the verb to the front.

• 1st position: verb
• 2nd position: subject
• Then: the rest (same order as before)

Main clause	Yes/no question
Jij woont in Utrecht.	Woon jij in Utrecht?
Je krijgt morgen bezoek.	Krijg je morgen bezoek?
Je ouders zijn daar op vakantie.	Zijn je ouders daar op vakantie?
De zon schijnt deze week.	Schijnt de zon deze week?

Important: Only the order of subject and verb changes. The rest stays where it was.

5. Step-by-step: from main clause to yes/no question

1. Start from a correct main clause (subject – verb – rest).
2. Switch the first two elements: put the verb first, then the subject.
3. Keep the rest exactly the same.
4. Add a question mark.

Example 1:

• Main clause: Jij werkt morgen thuis.
• Question: Werk jij morgen thuis?

Example 2:

• Main clause: Wij wonen al twee jaar in Nederland.
• Question: Wonen wij al twee jaar in Nederland?

Self-check: Cover the examples and try to form the question yourself. Then compare.

6. Step-by-step: from yes/no question back to main clause

1. Start from the question (verb – subject – rest).
2. Switch the first two elements: put the subject first, then the verb.
3. Keep the rest the same.

Example 1:

• Question: Ga je morgen naar de gemeente?
• Main clause: Jij gaat morgen naar de gemeente.

Example 2:

• Question: Werken jullie op zaterdag?
• Main clause: Jullie werken op zaterdag.

Tip: This is very useful in conversation. Repeat a question as a statement to check information.

7. Questions with zijn (to be)

The verb zijn follows exactly the same order rules.

Main clause	Yes/no question
Mijn postcode is 1234 AB.	Is jouw postcode 1234 AB?
De man en de vrouw zijn thuis.	Zijn de man en de vrouw thuis?

Common mistake:

• Jouw postcode is 1234 AB? (spoken Dutch sometimes, but not a clear yes/no question form)
• Correct: Is jouw postcode 1234 AB?

8. Watch out for verb endings with jij/je

In Dutch, the verb form sometimes looks different in a question with jij/je than in a statement.

Subject	Type	Structure	Example
jij / je	Main clause	subject – verb+t	Jij woont in Utrecht.
jij / je	Yes/no question	verb (no t) – subject	Woon jij in Utrecht?

More examples:

• Jij werkt in Amsterdam. → Werk jij in Amsterdam?
• Je krijgt morgen bezoek. → Krijg je morgen bezoek?
• Je ontvangt vaak e-mails. → Ontvang je vaak e-mails?

Rule to remember: With jij/je directly after the verb in a question, the verb usually loses the -t.

9. Quick self-check: do I have the order right?

Use this mini checklist when you are not sure:

1. What type of sentence do I want?
   • Statement → hoofdzin.
   • Yes/no question → ja/nee-vraag.
2. Where is my verb?
   • Hoofdzin → verb is in 2nd position.
   • Ja/nee-vraag → verb is in 1st position.
3. Is the rest still in the same order?
   • Place, time, object, etc. stay together after subject+verb.
4. Is my verb form correct?
   • Especially with jij/je in questions: check the -t.

10. What you should now be able to do

• Recognise subject, verb and rest in a simple Dutch sentence.
• Make a correct hoofdzin with the order: subject – verb – rest.
• Turn that hoofdzin into a ja/nee-vraag by moving the verb in front of the subject.
• Turn a yes/no question back into a main clause.
• Pay attention to the -t with jij/je in questions.

If you can do these five points with the sentences in the unit, you are ready to use them in conversation.