Dropping "Dat" in Spoken Dutch
When expressing thoughts or making statements in standard written Dutch, you typically use the conjunction dat (that). This sends the verb to the end of the following clause (for example, Ik denk dat hij morgen komt).
However, in casual spoken Dutch, it is extremely common to simply drop dat. When you do this, the following clause is no longer treated as subordinate. Instead, it gets regular main-clause word order, meaning the conjugated verb sits in the normal second position (for example, Ik denk hij komt morgen).
| I think the outing is going ahead, because the weather is beautiful. | Ik denk het uitje gaat door, want het weer is mooi. |
| We think you guys are arriving in good time. | We denken jullie komen bijtijds aan. |
You will hear this structure often after verbs of thought, such as denken (to think) or vermoeden (to suspect).
| I suspect the travel time is short. | Ik vermoed de reistijd is kort. |
Hopes and Statements
This relaxed spoken rule applies equally to verbs expressing hope or speech, such as hopen (to hope), zeggen (to say), and geloven (to believe). The second clause simply continues as a fresh, independent sentence.
| I hope we are spending the weekend together. | Ik hoop we brengen het weekend samen door. |
| We hope you guys are joining for dinner tonight. | We hopen jullie eten vanavond mee. |
| They say the itinerary is fun, because the travel time is short. | Ze zeggen het reisplan is leuk, want de reistijd is kort. |
| I believe we are staying overnight in the hotel in two days. | Ik geloof we overnachten over twee dagen in het hotel. |
Estimations and Assumptions
Even verbs that look slightly more formal in writing will take this casual structure during everyday conversations. You can easily drop dat after verbs like veronderstellen (to assume) and schatten (to estimate).
| I assume the outing starts on time. | Ik veronderstel het uitje begint bijtijds. |
| I estimate the trip takes an hour. | Ik schat de reis duurt een uur. |