Learn Hardcore Dutch: We hebben een afwasmachine gekocht, zodat we sneller klaar zijn met de afwas. - We have bought a dishwasher, so we can be done with the dishes faster.

Zodat translates to “so that” in English. It introduces a subordinate clause that explains the purpose or result of buying the dishwasher—in other words, it shows that the purchase was made with the goal of finishing the dishes faster.

Why is there a comma before zodat in the sentence?

In Dutch, a subordinate clause that explains purpose (introduced by words like zodat) is typically separated from the main clause by a comma. This punctuation helps to clarify that what follows is an explanation or result of the main action.

How is the perfect tense formed in the main clause We hebben een afwasmachine gekocht?

The perfect tense in Dutch is created by combining an auxiliary verb with the past participle of the main verb. In this sentence, hebben is the auxiliary verb and gekocht is the past participle of kopen (to buy), thus forming a structure similar to “have bought” in English.

Why does the finite verb zijn appear at the end of the subordinate clause zodat we sneller klaar zijn met de afwas?

Dutch subordinate clauses generally follow an SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) word order. When a clause is introduced by a word like zodat, the finite verb is placed at the end, which is why zijn comes after the rest of the elements in that clause.

What does the phrase klaar zijn met de afwas mean, and how does it contribute to the overall meaning of the sentence?

The phrase klaar zijn met de afwas means “to be done with the dishes.” It indicates that the purpose behind buying the dishwasher is to reduce the time spent on washing dishes, thereby emphasizing the intended benefit of having a faster dishwashing process.