Learn Hardcore Dutch: Anna zet de gieter naast haar bureau, zodat zij hem niet vergeet. - Anna puts the watering can next to her desk, so she doesn’t forget it.

zodat means “so that” (expresses purpose or intended result) and sends the finite verb to the very end of its clause.
omdat means “because” (expresses a reason or cause) and also triggers verb-final order.
Use zodat when you want to explain the purpose or outcome (“she places it so that she won’t forget it”), and omdat when you state why something happens (“she places it because …”).

Could you replace zodat zij hem niet vergeet with om hem niet te vergeten? What’s the grammatical difference?

Yes. With om ... te you form an infinitive purpose clause:
Anna zet de gieter naast haar bureau om hem niet te vergeten.
Key differences:
• zodat + finite verb (subordinate clause, verb-final) focuses on the result.
• om + infinitive + te emphasizes an intended action or purpose directly.

Why is the verb vergeet at the end of the clause after zodat?

Because zodat is a subordinating conjunction. In any Dutch subordinate clause (introduced by words like zodat, omdat, terwijl, etc.), the finite verb moves to the final position. Hence zodat zij hem niet vergeet.

Why is zij used here, and could you say ze instead?

zij is the stressed form of the third-person singular pronoun, often used for emphasis or clarity. In everyday speech or informal writing, you can replace it with the unstressed ze:
… zodat ze hem niet vergeet.

Why is the object pronoun hem used for de gieter? Could it be het?

Dutch object pronouns agree with the grammatical gender of the noun:
• Nouns with de (common gender) take hem.
• Nouns with het (neuter) take het.
Since gieter is a de-word, its pronoun is hem, not het.

Why is it haar bureau instead of just haar or some other form?

haar is the possessive pronoun for third-person feminine singular (“her”). In Dutch you can’t drop the noun after a possessive. You must say haar bureau (“her desk”), not just haar.

Why is the verb zetten used here instead of leggen or plaatsen?

Dutch distinguishes placement verbs by the orientation of the object:
• zetten for placing something upright/vertical (a watering can stands).
• leggen for laying something flat.
• plaatsen is a more general “to place.”
Since a watering can stands on its base, zetten is the most natural choice.

Can you use the separable verb neerzetten instead of zetten?

Yes. neerzetten means “to put down.” In the main clause you split it and put neer at the end:
Anna zet de gieter naast haar bureau neer.
Using neerzetten makes the downward action explicit, but simply saying zetten is perfectly acceptable and very common.

What is the role of the preposition naast? Could you use bij or aan instead?

• naast = “next to”/“beside,” indicating side-by-side contact.
• aan = “on” or “at the side of,” often for vertical surfaces.
• bij = “at” or “by,” implying proximity but not necessarily contact.
Here naast best conveys “right beside the desk,” so Anna zet de gieter naast haar bureau is the most natural.

Where does the negative niet go in the subordinate clause, and why does it come before vergeet?

In Dutch subordinate clauses the negation niet typically directly precedes the finite verb (which is at the very end). So you get niet vergeet rather than vergeet niet.