Learn Dutch: Ik schat de reis duurt een uur. - I estimate the trip takes an hour.

Normally, a subclause starts with dat and sends the verb to the end: Ik schat dat de reis een uur duurt. However, in spoken Dutch, when you drop dat after a verb of thinking or speaking (like schat), the second part behaves like a normal main clause with V2 (verb-second) word order. So, duurt stays in the second position.

Is it common to drop dat after schatten?

Yes, schatten (to estimate) is a verb of thought or calculation. In informal spoken Dutch, verbs like denken, hopen, vinden, and schatten frequently drop dat. In formal writing, however, you should still use dat and put the verb at the end.

Could I reverse the clauses and say De reis duurt een uur, schat ik?

Yes! This is a very common alternative in spoken Dutch. By adding schat ik to the end, it acts as a tag. This keeps the main statement (De reis duurt een uur) in standard V2 word order without having to worry about subclause rules at all.

What is the difference between schatten and raden?