Moving Clause to End
In Dutch, 'heavy' information (like a whole sentence starting with 'dat') cannot stay inside the verb bracket. It moves to the very end of the sentence, often leaving a placeholder like 'het' or 'er' behind.
How It Works
Extraposition (extrapositie) is a fundamental rule of Dutch word order. It prevents the verb bracket from becoming too long and confusing.
1. Finite Clauses
If a subordinate clause (starting with dat, of, or a question word) acts as the object or subject, it normally moves to the end. It cannot stay inside the verb bracket, although it can also be placed at the front of the sentence. For certain verbs, a placeholder is used in the original spot. For the verb vinden, the pronoun het is mandatory only when used with an adjective or complement (e.g., Ik vind het leuk dat...). When vinden is used to express an opinion without an adjective, het is not used (e.g., Ik vind dat...). For other verbs like waarderen or betreuren, the use of het is frequent and highly recommended for learners, though technically optional.
Example: Ik vind het leuk dat je er bent.
2. Infinitive Clauses (Usual)
Clauses using te + infinitive or om te + infinitive are also usually extraposed to the end of the sentence. Some verbs, such as proberen, also allow the infinitive to stay inside the verb cluster, so this is a strong tendency, not a strict rule.
Example: Ik ben vergeten om brood te kopen.
3. Prepositional Phrases (Optional)
Prepositional phrases (PPs) can often stay inside the bracket or move outside. Moving them to the end is common in spoken Dutch to sound more natural and less 'heavy'.
Example: Ik heb gewacht op de bus. (Natural) vs. Ik heb op de bus gewacht. (Also correct).
4. Anticipatory 'er'
When a verb requires a specific preposition, we use anticipatory er + the preposition as a placeholder for the extraposed clause.
Example: Ik reken erop dat je komt.
5. Comparisons
Comparisons using dan or als are almost always extraposed.
Example: Hij is groter dan ik dacht.
Examples (6)
- Ik heb gehoord dat hij ziek is.
I heard that he is sick.
Word by Word: I have heard that he sick is.
The clause 'dat hij ziek is' is extraposed to the position after the past participle 'gehoord'.
- We hopen erop dat het morgen gaat regenen.
We hope (on it) that it will rain tomorrow.
Word by Word: We hope there-on that it tomorrow goes rain.
The verb 'hopen op' uses 'erop' as a placeholder for the extraposed 'dat'-clause.
- Zij is veel sneller dan ik had verwacht.
She is much faster than I had expected.
Word by Word: She is much faster than I had expected.
Comparisons are extraposed to the end, following the adjective and verb.
- Ik vind het belangrijk dat we op tijd zijn.
I find it important that we are on time.
Word by Word: I find it important that we on time are.
For verbs like 'vinden', the placeholder 'het' is mandatory when the object clause is extraposed.
- Hij heeft geprobeerd om de deur te openen.
He tried to open the door.
Word by Word: He has tried for the door to open.
Infinitive clauses using 'te' or 'om te' are almost always extraposed to the end of the sentence.
- Hij heeft urenlang gekeken naar de vogels.
He looked at the birds for hours.
Word by Word: He has hours-long looked to the birds.
The prepositional phrase 'naar de vogels' is extraposed for better sentence rhythm.
Common Mistakes
Putting a finite clause inside the verb bracket.
Ik heb dat hij komt gehoord.Ik heb gehoord dat hij komt.In Dutch, you cannot trap a full 'dat'-clause between the auxiliary verb and the past participle. It must be moved to the end.
Omitting the placeholder 'het'.
Ik vind leuk dat je er bent.Ik vind het leuk dat je er bent.When a clause is extraposed from the object position, 'het' is usually required to fill the gap.
Extraposing light elements like simple pronouns.
Ik heb gezien het.Ik heb het gezien.Only 'heavy' material like clauses or PPs can be extraposed. Short pronouns must stay inside the verb bracket.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand extraposition, you need to be comfortable with subordinate clauses and the conjunction 'dat'. Extraposition is the process of moving 'heavy' information, like a full clause, to the end of the sentence while often leaving a placeholder like 'het' in the original position.
- datThat (Conjunction)
Extraposition frequently involves moving a 'dat'-clause (that-clause) to the end of the sentence, so understanding the conjunction 'dat' is essential.
Level 2 - dat (betrekkelijk)Relative Pronoun (Het-words)
Extraposition often uses the dummy pronoun 'het' to refer forward to a clause starting with 'dat', requiring familiarity with how 'dat' functions as a connector.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- Long Verb Brackets
Extraposition is the primary way to break or manage long verb brackets (tangconstructies).
Level 5 - het (formeel onderwerp)Het as an Empty Subject
The placeholder 'het' is frequently used to represent an extraposed clause.
Level 1 - er (vooruitwijzend)Erop Dat, Ervan Dat
Used when a verb with a fixed preposition extraposes a clause (e.g., 'erop rekenen dat...').
Level 4 - SOV in Subordinate Clauses
Extraposed clauses themselves must follow subordinate word order (SOV).
Level 3 - Afterthought Position
A similar but distinct structure where an element is added as an afterthought after a comma.
Level 5 - dan (vergelijking)Than
Comparative phrases are a specific type of constituent that is almost always extraposed.
Level 2
Practice Moving Clause to End in Bubblegum
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