Verbs at the End of Subordinate Clauses
In Dutch subordinate clauses (starting with words like dat, omdat, or of), verbs are pushed to the very end of the sentence.
In the perfect tense, you have two verbs at the end of the clause: the auxiliary (hebben or zijn) and the past participle. Which one goes last? You get to choose! Dutch allows two different word orders for these verb clusters.
Order 1: Past Participle + Auxiliary (Red Word Order)
One option is to put the past participle first, followed by the conjugated auxiliary verb. Linguists call this the rode volgorde (red word order). It is very common in written Dutch.
| I believe that astrology has changed my future. | Ik geloof dat astrologie mijn toekomst veranderd heeft. |
| The woman believes that this zodiac sign has brought her success. | De vrouw gelooft dat dit sterrenbeeld haar succes gebracht heeft. |
Order 2: Auxiliary + Past Participle (Green Word Order)
Alternatively, you can place the conjugated auxiliary verb before the past participle. This is known as the groene volgorde (green word order). This option is equally correct and very popular in everyday spoken Dutch.
| It is funny that her horoscope has been exactly right. | Het is grappig dat haar horoscoop precies heeft geklopt. |
| I know that the astrologer has determined my zodiac sign. | Ik weet dat de astroloog mijn sterrenbeeld heeft bepaald. |
Both "Hebben" and "Zijn"
This rule applies whether the perfect tense uses the auxiliary verb hebben or zijn.
| I like that astrology has always remained mysterious. | Ik vind het leuk dat astrologie altijd mysterieus is gebleven. |
| The man says that air has been his element. | De man zegt dat lucht zijn element is geweest. |