Question 1

Why does the second part of the sentence have normal word order instead of sending the verb to the end?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of complementizer drop, which is common in spoken Dutch. We have omitted the word dat (that). When you drop dat after verbs of thought or speech like denken, the following clause stops acting like a subordinate clause and reverts to normal V2 (verb-second) main clause word order.

Question 2

How would this sentence look if we did include the word dat?

Accepted Answer

It would be We denken dat jullie bijtijds aankomen. With dat, the second part becomes a standard subordinate clause, which pushes the conjugated verb to the very end and reconnects it with the separable prefix aan to form aankomen.

Question 3

Why is aan at the very end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

It is the separable prefix of the verb aankomen (to arrive). Because the dropped dat causes the second clause to use main clause word order, the conjugated part (komen) takes the second position, and the prefix (aan) gets sent to the end of the clause.

Question 4

Can I use this dropped dat structure in formal writing?

Accepted Answer

It is best to avoid it in formal writing. While dropping dat and using V2 word order is very natural in spoken Dutch or casual texting, formal written Dutch still strongly prefers keeping dat and using the standard subordinate clause word order.

Question 5

What exactly does bijtijds mean here, and how does it compare to op tijd?

Accepted Answer

While op tijd simply means exactly on time or punctual, bijtijds has a slightly different flavor. It means in good time, early enough, or with a comfortable amount of time to spare before something happens.

We denken jullie komen bijtijds aan.

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