Ik ga eerder naar school, want ik wil leren.

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Breakdown of Ik ga eerder naar school, want ik wil leren.

• gaan: to go
• leren: to learn
• naar: to
• de school: the school
• want: because
• willen: to want
• eerder: earlier

Questions & Answers about Ik ga eerder naar school, want ik wil leren.

What is the function of want in this sentence?

Want is a coordinating conjunction that means because in English. It connects two independent clauses—the first stating an action and the second providing the reason behind that action. Because it’s coordinating, the word order in the following clause remains unchanged.

Why is there a comma before want in the sentence?

The comma is used to separate two independent clauses joined by want. In Dutch, it is common to place a comma before coordinating conjunctions like want to clearly indicate the division between complete thoughts.

What does eerder mean here, and how does it differ from vroeger?

In this context, eerder means earlier or sooner, indicating that the speaker is going to school at a time that is earlier than usual. It is used to compare timing in the present or future. In contrast, vroeger generally refers to something that occurred in the past.

How does the word order work in both clauses, especially after want?

Both clauses follow the typical subject–verb–complement word order. In the first clause, ik ga eerder naar school, ik is the subject, ga is the verb, and eerder naar school serves as an adverbial phrase. After want, the second clause ik wil leren maintains the same order, with ik as the subject followed by wil and then leren. The coordinating conjunction want does not trigger any inversion of the subject and verb.

Can want be replaced with omdat, and what effect would that have on the sentence structure?

Yes, you can replace want with omdat to express causation. However, omdat is a subordinating conjunction, which changes the word order in the clause it introduces. For instance, if you use omdat, the sentence would be: Ik ga eerder naar school, omdat ik leren wil. Here, the subordinate clause moves the verb wil to the end. This difference in structure highlights that while both words convey a reason, want keeps the main clause order intact, whereas omdat requires the subordinate clause to follow its specific word order rules.