Breakdown of Ik draag altijd een pak omdat de bijen soms steken.
ik
I
een
a/an
altijd
always
dragen
to wear
soms
sometimes
omdat
because (subordinating)
de bij
the bee
het pak
the suit
steken
to sting
Questions & Answers about Ik draag altijd een pak omdat de bijen soms steken.
Why is the verb steken at the very end of the sentence?
It is because of the word omdat (because). Omdat introduces a subordinate clause, which pushes the conjugated verb (steken) to the end. If you used want (which also means "because"), the word order would be normal: ...want de bijen steken soms.
Why does altijd come right after the verb draag? Could I put it at the beginning?
In a standard Dutch sentence, short adverbs of time like altijd (always) usually come immediately after the conjugated verb. You can put altijd at the beginning for emphasis, but that causes inversion where the verb swaps places with the subject: Altijd draag ik een pak.
Is steken only used for insects stinging?
No, steken is a very common verb that means "to stab", "to sting", or "to stick". You can use it for a bee or mosquito, stabbing with a knife, or even sticking your hand into your pocket (je hand in je zak steken).
This lesson is about the present tense with al or sinds. Why aren't those used here?
Al and sinds are used when an action started in the past and is still actively going on (like "I have been wearing this suit since noon"). This sentence is simply describing a general, repeating habit, so it just uses the standard present tense without those ongoing duration words.
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