Breakdown of De deur is open, waardoor de hond naar binnen loopt.
zijn
to be
de hond
the dog
naar
to
de deur
the door
lopen
to walk
open
open
binnen
inside
waardoor
which
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Questions & Answers about De deur is open, waardoor de hond naar binnen loopt.
What does waardoor mean in this context?
Waardoor literally means as a result of which. It links the open door with the consequence that the dog walks inside.
How does waardoor function grammatically in this sentence?
It acts as a subordinating conjunction introducing a cause-or-result clause. That makes the clause after waardoor a subordinate clause where the finite verb moves to the end.
Why is the verb loopt placed at the end of the clause?
In Dutch subordinate clauses introduced by a conjunction, the finite verb goes to the final position. Since waardoor is a subordinating conjunction here, loopt must follow all other elements.
Why is there a comma before waardoor?
Dutch normally separates main and subordinate clauses with a comma when the subordinate clause follows. The comma signals that what comes after is a dependent clause.
What’s the difference between waardoor and zodat?
Waardoor presents a factual cause → result link (“because of which”). Zodat focuses more on the intended or realized result (“so that”), often implying purpose or intention.
Can I replace waardoor with daardoor or en daardoor?
Yes, but the structure changes. With daardoor (an adverb), you no longer have a subordinate clause and you must use the normal verb-second order:
De deur is open, daardoor loopt de hond naar binnen.
Adding en simply links it: … , en daardoor loopt…
Is waardoor always one word?
Yes. Whenever you use it as this subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun of cause, it’s always fused into a single word.
Could you say binnenkomt instead of naar binnen loopt?
Absolutely.
De deur is open, waardoor de hond binnenkomt.
Binnenkomen highlights the act of entering, while naar binnen lopen emphasizes the movement on foot.
Where should the adverbial phrase naar binnen go, and can its position change?
In a subordinate clause you normally have: subject – adverbial(s) – finite verb. Here that gives de hond – naar binnen – loopt. Moving naar binnen after loopt (…de hond loopt naar binnen) is grammatically okay but places the prepositional phrase after the verb, which can change emphasis or sound slightly less fluid.
Can I put the subordinate clause first in the sentence?
Theoretically yes, but it becomes awkward and you must invert the main clause verb order:
Waardoor de hond naar binnen loopt, is de deur open.
This inversion follows the verb-second rule in Dutch, but the original order is far more natural.