Breakdown of Hij neemt de bus omdat de trein vertraging heeft.
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
hebben
to have
de trein
the train
de bus
the bus
nemen
to take (general, abstract, e.g., transport, medicine)
omdat
because (subordinating)
de vertraging
the delay
Questions & Answers about Hij neemt de bus omdat de trein vertraging heeft.
Why is the verb heeft at the very end of the sentence?
The word omdat (because) introduces a specific type of clause. In Dutch, words like omdat push the conjugated verb (here, heeft) to the very end of that clause. Because of this rule, you cannot say omdat de trein heeft vertraging.
The translation says the train 'is delayed', so why does the Dutch sentence use heeft (has)?
In English, 'delayed' is used as an adjective, but Dutch expresses this using the noun vertraging (delay) alongside the verb hebben (to have). So, in Dutch, a train literally 'has delay'.
Could I use the word want instead of omdat to say 'because'?
Yes, but you would have to change the word order. Unlike omdat, the word want keeps the normal word order. If you use it here, the verb stays in its regular position: Hij neemt de bus, want de trein heeft vertraging.
The English translation says 'He is taking', but neemt means 'takes'. Do I need a continuous tense here?
No, Dutch uses the simple present tense (neemt) much more often than English does. Simply saying Hij neemt de bus is the most natural way to express 'He is taking the bus' right now.
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