Dutch has two ways to glue clauses together, and English speakers routinely confuse them because English doesn't draw the line as sharply. There are real conjunctions — en (and), maar (but), want (for), omdat (because) — which are grammatical glue with a fixed position and a fixed effect on word order. And there are conjunctive adverbs — daarom (therefore), dus (so), echter (however), bovendien (moreover), daarnaast (in addition), niettemin (nevertheless) — which carry connective meaning but are, grammatically, ordinary adverbs. Because they're adverbs, they're mobile: they can stand at the front, in the middle, or — for some — just after the first constituent. This page is about getting them into the right slot without breaking the verb-second rule.
The key distinction: adverb, not conjunction
A coordinating conjunction like en or maar sits outside the clause it joins, in a "zeroth" position, and does not count toward verb-second. So Maar ik ga niet is fine: maar is glue, ik is the first real constituent, and the verb ga still comes second after it.
A conjunctive adverb is different. It lives inside the clause as a full constituent. So when daarom opens the clause, it occupies first position itself — and that means the finite verb must come immediately after it, pushing the subject to third position. This is the inversion that catches everyone.
Het regent. Daarom blijf ik thuis.
It's raining. Therefore I'm staying home. ('Daarom' fills first position → verb 'blijf' second → subject 'ik' after it — inversion.)
Het regent, maar ik ga toch naar buiten.
It's raining, but I'm going outside anyway. ('maar' is glue, outside the clause; 'ik' is first position, verb 'ga' second — no inversion.)
Position 1: clause-initial (triggers inversion)
Putting the connective adverb up front is the most common and most emphatic option. The adverb takes first position, the finite verb follows in second, and the subject inverts to third. This works for daarom, dus, daardoor, daarnaast, bovendien, niettemin, desondanks, vervolgens, toch and most of the family.
De trein was vertraagd. Daarom kwam ik te laat op mijn werk.
The train was delayed. That's why I was late for work. (inversion: kwam–ik)
Het was duur. Bovendien was het ook nog van slechte kwaliteit.
It was expensive. On top of that it was also poor quality. (inversion: was–het)
Ze had weinig geslapen. Niettemin gaf ze een uitstekende presentatie.
She'd slept little. Nevertheless she gave an excellent presentation. (inversion: gaf–ze)
Position 2: the middle field
Because they're adverbs, these connectors can also drop into the middle field, after the finite verb, sitting among the other adverbials. The meaning is the same; the emphasis shifts off the connector and onto whatever now opens the clause (usually the subject). This is often the smoother, less heavy-handed choice in flowing prose.
Ik blijf daarom vandaag maar thuis.
So I'll just stay home today. ('daarom' in the middle field; subject 'ik' opens normally, no inversion)
Het is dus geen goed idee om nu te vertrekken.
So it's not a good idea to leave now. ('dus' tucked in the middle field after 'is')
We hebben bovendien nog niet eens betaald.
What's more, we haven't even paid yet. ('bovendien' in the middle field)
Note especially dus: in speech it's extremely common mid-field and as a tag, much more so than fronted. Dat is dus niet waar (so that's just not true) is far more natural than a stiff fronted Dus dat is niet waar.
Position 3: echter slots after the first constituent
Echter (however) is the special case worth memorizing separately. In formal and written Dutch it characteristically sits not at the very front but immediately after the first constituent — a position English "however" also likes (He, however, stayed home). You'll see both Hij bleef echter thuis and the more literary Hij echter bleef thuis, and you can also front it as Echter, ..., though that's considered slightly heavy.
De cijfers waren goed. De omzet bleef echter achter bij de verwachtingen.
The figures were good. Revenue, however, lagged behind expectations. ('echter' after the first constituent — the natural written position)
Veel mensen klaagden. De directie deed echter niets.
Many people complained. Management, however, did nothing. ('echter' mid-clause)
Hij beloofde te komen. Hij echter liet niets meer van zich horen.
He promised to come. He, however, was never heard from again. (literary: 'echter' right after the subject)
The big trap: these are NOT subordinators
Here is the error that defines this whole topic. Because daarom means therefore and because feels related, learners treat it like the subordinating conjunction omdat and send the verb to the end. Do not. A conjunctive adverb is an adverb; it leaves the clause as a normal main clause with verb-second. Only true subordinators (omdat, dat, als, terwijl, hoewel) send the finite verb to the end.
Ik blijf thuis omdat het regent.
I'm staying home because it's raining. (subordinator 'omdat' → verb 'regent' at the END)
Het regent. Daarom blijf ik thuis.
It's raining. Therefore I'm staying home. (adverb 'daarom' → verb 'blijf' SECOND, not at the end)
Notice these two sentences mean almost the same thing, yet the word order is opposite — that contrast is the whole point. Omdat subordinates and sends the verb back; daarom is just an adverb and keeps verb-second.
A quick map of the family
| Adverb | Meaning | Favourite position | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| daarom | therefore, that's why | front (inversion) or mid | neutral |
| dus | so, thus | mid-field / tag (speech); front (writing) | neutral / (informal) as tag |
| echter | however | after first constituent | (formal) / (literary) |
| bovendien, daarnaast | moreover, in addition | front (inversion) or mid | neutral → (formal) |
| niettemin, desondanks | nevertheless | front (inversion) | (formal) |
| toch | still, anyway, yet | mid-field; also front | everyday |
Common Mistakes
❌ Het regent. Daarom ik blijf thuis.
Incorrect — V3. 'Daarom' is in first position, so the verb must come second, before the subject.
✅ Het regent. Daarom blijf ik thuis.
It's raining. Therefore I'm staying home.
❌ Het regent, daarom ik thuis blijf.
Incorrect — 'daarom' is an adverb, not a subordinator; the verb does NOT go to the end. Keep verb-second with inversion.
✅ Het regent, daarom blijf ik thuis.
It's raining, so I'm staying home.
❌ De omzet echter bleef achter, maar de winst echter steeg.
Incorrect — 'echter' can't stack like that and 'maar...echter' is redundant; pick one connector. Place 'echter' once, after the first constituent.
✅ De omzet bleef echter achter, maar de winst steeg.
Revenue lagged, but the profit rose.
❌ Ik ben moe, dus ik ga naar bed nu vroeg.
Word-order slip in the second clause — after 'dus' (a coordinator-like adverb here) the clause is normal, but the time adverb 'nu/vroeg' is misplaced; keep them in the middle field before nothing trails.
✅ Ik ben moe, dus ik ga nu vroeg naar bed.
I'm tired, so I'm going to bed early now.
❌ Hij studeerde hard, niettemin hij zakte voor het examen.
Incorrect — 'niettemin' in first position forces inversion: verb before subject.
✅ Hij studeerde hard, niettemin zakte hij voor het examen.
He studied hard; nevertheless he failed the exam.
Key Takeaways
- Conjunctive adverbs (daarom, dus, echter, bovendien, niettemin) are adverbs, not conjunctions — they're full constituents inside the clause.
- Fronted, they take first position and trigger V2 inversion: verb before subject.
- They can also sit comfortably in the middle field, shifting emphasis off the connector.
- Echter prefers the slot right after the first constituent and is (formal)/(literary).
- The cardinal sin is treating them like subordinators: they never send the finite verb to the end — only true subordinators (omdat, dat, als) do that.
Now practice Dutch
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Start learning Dutch→Related Topics
- Dutch Adverbs: OverviewA2 — The big picture for the Adverbs group: the main types (manner, time, place, degree, and sentence/modal adverbs); the headline fact that Dutch adverbs never inflect — no -e ending, unlike attributive adjectives; that the plain adjective IS the manner adverb (no -ly to add); and the time–manner–place ordering, which is the exact reverse of English's manner–place–time.
- Sentence Adverbs: Helaas, Gelukkig, Natuurlijk, BlijkbaarB1 — Whole-sentence comment adverbs that voice the speaker's stance on the entire statement — helaas (unfortunately), gelukkig (fortunately), natuurlijk (of course), blijkbaar/kennelijk (apparently), hopelijk (hopefully) — and why putting one at the front of a Dutch clause triggers verb-second inversion: 'Helaas kan ik niet komen'.
- Verb-Second (V2) in Main ClausesA1 — The backbone of Dutch main clauses — the finite verb sits in the second position, where 'position' means the second constituent, not the second word.
- Inversion After a Fronted ElementA2 — When anything but the subject opens a Dutch main clause, the subject and finite verb swap — including the hallmark 'verb-comma-verb' collision after a fronted subordinate clause.
- Conjunctional Adverbs: Daarom, Dus, Toch, Echter, BovendienB2 — Words like daarom, dus and echter connect ideas in meaning but are grammatically adverbs — so when they open a clause they force V2 inversion, unlike want (no change) and omdat (verb-final).