Situational causation: maken dat
When you want to express that a specific situation, action, or object causes a certain outcome, Dutch often uses the construction maken dat (literally "to make that"). This is similar to saying something "causes [someone] to [do something]" in English.
Because the word dat introduces a subordinate clause, the outcome must use verb-final word order. The subject of the outcome comes directly after dat, and its conjugated verb is pushed to the very end of the sentence.
| The scent of lavender causes the restless child to sleep. | De geur van lavendel maakt dat het onrustige kind slaapt. |
| This essential oil in the diffuser causes the room to smell refreshing. | Deze etherische olie in de verdamper maakt dat de kamer verfrissend ruikt. |
| The pure oil causes your blood pressure to drop. | De pure olie maakt dat jouw bloeddruk daalt. |
Adding details to the outcome
If the outcome involves extra information—such as a reflexive pronoun, a direct object, or a location—these elements are placed safely between the subject and the final verb. The verb always remains anchored at the very end of the clause.
| The massage with this herb causes me to feel better. | De massage met dit kruid maakt dat ik me beter voel. |
| The unexpected pain causes us to rub the oil on our neck. | De onverwachte pijn maakt dat wij de olie op onze nek wrijven. |
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