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We wachten omdat er een ongeluk is.

We wachten omdat er een ongeluk is.
We are waiting because there is an accident.
From Lesson 85:Because clauses (omdat)·Dutch

Questions & Answers about We wachten omdat er een ongeluk is.

Why is the verb is at the very end of the sentence?
The word omdat (because) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and pushes the conjugated verb to the very end of that clause. So instead of saying omdat er is een ongeluk, the verb is moves to the end making it omdat er een ongeluk is.
Could I use want instead of omdat here?
Yes, both words mean "because", but they use different word orders. While omdat pushes the verb to the end, want keeps the normal word order. If you used want, the sentence would be We wachten, want er is een ongeluk.
Why do we need the word er in this sentence?
In this sentence, er works exactly like the word "there" in the English phrase "there is". You use er is or er zijn to introduce a new, indefinite subject (like een ongeluk). Saying omdat een ongeluk is is incorrect, just like saying "because an accident is" in English.

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