Learn Dutch: Nu we een oppas hebben, kunnen we ontspannen. - Now that we have a babysitter, we can relax.

In this sentence, nu isn't just the adverb 'now'; it functions as a subordinating conjunction meaning 'now that'. Subordinating conjunctions always push the conjugated verb (in this case, hebben) to the end of their clause.

Why does the second part say kunnen we instead of we kunnen?

This is due to the V2 (verb second) rule. The entire first clause (Nu we een oppas hebben) takes up the first position in the sentence. Therefore, the conjugated verb of the main clause (kunnen) must immediately follow the comma to take the second position, swapping places with its subject (we).

Does nu always push the verb to the end of the clause?

No! Most of the time, nu is just a regular adverb meaning 'now', and it doesn't change the word order (for example: We hebben nu een oppas). It only pushes the verb to the end when it connects two clauses and means 'now that'.

Is oppas a noun or a verb here?

Een oppas is a noun referring to the person—the babysitter or nanny. If you want to talk about the action of babysitting, you use the verb oppassen.

Why is ontspannen at the very end of the sentence?