Learn Hardcore Dutch: Ik ga naar het toilet, want ik moet even mijn handen wassen. - I am going to the toilet because I need to wash my hands.

Even is used to suggest that the action of washing hands is brief. It softens the statement, much like saying “just” or “quickly” in English, indicating that the speaker will only wash their hands for a short moment.

Why is the coordinating conjunction want used, and what does it mean?

Want translates to because in English. It connects the two independent clauses in the sentence, providing a reason for the first clause. Since it is a coordinating conjunction, it does not trigger any inversion of the word order in the clause that follows.

Why is the definite article het used before toilet?

In Dutch, every noun has a grammatical gender. The noun toilet is neuter, so it takes the neuter definite article het. This is similar to how we choose “the” in English, except that Dutch articles vary with gender.

What function does the preposition naar serve in this sentence?

Naar means to and indicates direction. In the phrase naar het toilet, it tells us where the speaker is going, much like “going to the store” or “going to work” in English.

Why is there a comma before want in the sentence?

A comma is used here to clearly separate the two independent clauses. In Dutch, as in English, a comma before a coordinating conjunction like want helps to indicate a pause and clarifies the relationship between the clauses.

How does the sentence illustrate typical Dutch word order in main clauses?

The sentence follows the standard Dutch word order where the subject comes first and the finite verb is in the second position. In the first clause, Ik (subject) is followed by ga (verb). In the second clause, despite starting with want, the subject ik immediately follows the conjunction, which is typical for coordinating structures in Dutch.