Breakdown of Niemand ruimt de rommel op, vandaar dat we struikelen of uitglijden.
opruimen
to tidy up
niemand
no one
of
or
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
dat
that (conjunction)
vandaar
hence
de rommel
the mess
struikelen
to trip
uitglijden
to slip
Questions & Answers about Niemand ruimt de rommel op, vandaar dat we struikelen of uitglijden.
Why are struikelen and uitglijden placed at the very end of the sentence?
The phrase vandaar dat (which is why) acts as a subordinating conjunction. In Dutch, subordinate clauses use verb-final word order, meaning all verbs are pushed to the end of the clause.
Could I use daarom instead of vandaar dat here?
You could, but the sentence structure would change. The word daarom (therefore) is an adverb that introduces a main clause and usually triggers inversion. You would have to say: ..., daarom struikelen of glijden we uit. Using vandaar dat creates a subordinate clause, which is why the verbs stack at the end.
Why is the separable verb opruimen split into ruimt ... op, but the separable verb uitglijden stays as one word?
In a standard main clause like Niemand ruimt de rommel op, the conjugated verb goes to the second position and the separable prefix is sent to the end. However, because vandaar dat pushes all verbs to the end of its clause, the prefix and verb of uitglijden are forced back together into a single word.
What is the exact difference between struikelen and uitglijden?
The verb struikelen means to trip, such as catching your foot on an object. The verb uitglijden means to slip, such as losing your footing on a wet floor. Both are useful words for navigating a mess!
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