Learn Hardcore Dutch: Omdat de oude vriezer kapot is, laat Anna een nieuwe bezorgen. - Because the old freezer is broken, Anna is having a new one delivered.

Omdat means “because” and introduces a subordinate (dependent) clause. In Dutch, a subordinate clause can come at the start of the sentence, and you separate it from the main clause with a comma. Here the subordinate clause is Omdat de oude vriezer kapot is, and the main clause is laat Anna een nieuwe bezorgen.

Why is the verb is placed at the end of the subordinate clause?

Dutch subordinate clauses are verb-final. That means the finite verb (here is) moves to the very end of the clause. In main clauses you usually have Subject–Verb–Object order, but in subordinate clauses it becomes Subject–Object–Verb.

What exactly does laat Anna een nieuwe bezorgen mean?

This is a causative construction using laten (“to let/have [something done]”). Literally it’s “(she) has (it) delivered,” so Anna laat een nieuwe bezorgen means “Anna has a new one delivered.”

Who is doing the delivering, then?

The sentence doesn’t specify the delivery person or company. It just says Anna arranges for someone else (e.g. a store or delivery service) to deliver the new freezer.

Why does the phrase say een nieuwe instead of een nieuwe vriezer?

Once you’ve mentioned de oude vriezer earlier, you can drop the noun and just say een nieuwe because the context makes it clear you’re talking about a freezer. This is called noun ellipsis.

Could you include the noun again if you wanted?

Yes. You could say Omdat de oude vriezer kapot is, laat Anna een nieuwe vriezer bezorgen. That’s perfectly correct; it’s just a bit more repetitive.

Is kapot an adjective or a verb here?

Kapot is an adjective meaning “broken.” In Dutch you say kapot zijn (“to be broken”), so kapot is = “is broken.”

Why is the article de used with oude vriezer?

In Dutch, vriezer is a common-gender noun (de-woord). All common-gender singular nouns take de, so it’s de vriezer, and with an adjective you get de oude vriezer.

What’s the difference between bezorgen and leveren?

Both can mean “to deliver,” but bezorgen often implies arranging the delivery yourself or having something brought to you. Leveren is more general and can mean “supply” or “deliver” in a commercial sense. Here bezorgen highlights that Anna arranges the freezer to be brought to her home.

Can you use a different word instead of Omdat if you start with the main clause?

Yes. If you start with the main clause, you’d drop Omdat and reverse word order: Anna laat een nieuwe vriezer bezorgen omdat de oude kapot is. Now laat comes right after Anna (Subject–Verb order), and the subordinate clause starts with omdat at the end.