daarom/dus
Linking Words That Move the Verb
After daarom, dus, toe, dan or anders at the start of a clause, the verb comes next: Dit reën, daarom bly ons tuis. (It's raining, so we're staying home.)
How It Works
The rule. When one of these adverbs starts a clause, use verb-second order: adverb, then verb, then subject.
- Dit reën, daarom bly ons tuis. (It's raining, so we're staying home.)
- Ek was moeg, dus het ek vroeg gaan slaap. (I was tired, so I went to bed early.)
- Ons het geëet, toe het ons TV gekyk. (We ate, then we watched TV.)
- Maak eers jou huiswerk klaar, dan kan jy speel. (Finish your homework first, then you can play.)
- Maak gou, anders mis ons die bus. (Hurry up, otherwise we'll miss the bus.)
Compare the real conjunctions. En, maar, of and want do not take a place in the clause, so the subject still comes first: Ons bly tuis, want dit reën. A word like omdat sends the verb to the end: omdat dit reën.
Toe: then or when? As an adverb, toe means then, and the verb comes right after it: Toe kom my ma by die huis. (Then my mother came home.) As a conjunction, toe means when and sends the verb to the end: Toe my ma by die huis kom, ... (When my mother came home, ...). See toe (when).
Later in the clause. These adverbs can also stand after the verb, and then the subject stays first: Ons bly daarom tuis. Ons moet dus vroeg ry.
More formal words. Formal writing uses words such as derhalwe and gevolglik in the same way.
Examples (6)
- Dit reën, daarom bly ons tuis.
It's raining, so we're staying home.
Word by Word: It rains, therefore stay we home.
- Ek was moeg, dus het ek vroeg gaan slaap.
I was tired, so I went to bed early.
Word by Word: I was tired, thus have I early gone sleep.
- Ons het geëet, toe het ons TV gekyk.
We ate, then we watched TV.
Word by Word: We have eaten, then have we TV watched.
- Maak gou, anders mis ons die bus.
Hurry up, otherwise we'll miss the bus.
Word by Word: Make quick, otherwise miss we the bus.
- Eers eet ons, dan was ons die skottelgoed.
First we eat, then we wash the dishes.
Word by Word: First eat we, then wash we the dishes.
- Die bus was laat, daarom het ek die trein geneem.
The bus was late, so I took the train.
Word by Word: The bus was late, therefore have I the train taken.
Common Mistakes
Keeping the subject before the verb after daarom.
Dit reën, daarom ons bly tuis.Dit reën, daarom bly ons tuis.Daarom takes the first place in its clause, so the verb bly must come next.
Keeping the subject before the verb after dus.
Ek was moeg, dus ek het vroeg gaan slaap.Ek was moeg, dus het ek vroeg gaan slaap.Dus works like daarom: the verb het comes straight after it.
Sending the verb to the end, as after omdat.
Dit reën, daarom ons tuis bly.Dit reën, daarom bly ons tuis.Daarom is not a word like omdat. Only subordinating words send the verb to the end.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Daarom and dus at the start of a clause trigger inversion.
Related Patterns
- wantBecause (Want)
Want also links a reason but keeps the subject first.
Level 1 - omdatBecause (Omdat)
Omdat sends the verb to the end instead.
Level 2 - want / omdatWant or Omdat?
How the two words for because order their verbs.
Level 3 - toe (When)When in the Past: Toe
Toe as a conjunction meaning when, with the verb at the end.
Level 2 - derhalwe/gevolglikFormal Therefore: Derhalwe and Gevolglik
Formal linking adverbs that follow the same order.
Level 5
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice daarom/dus in Bubblegum
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