Learn Hardcore Dutch: Na afloop drinken we koffie in de keuken. - Afterwards we drink coffee in the kitchen.

Na afloop literally combines na (after) and afloop (end, conclusion). As an adverbial phrase it means “afterward(s)” or “once it’s over.”

Why is there no article before afloop in Na afloop?

In the fixed time-expression na afloop, the article is omitted. It’s an idiomatic phrase. If you want to be more specific you can say na de afloop van de vergadering (“after the end of the meeting”), but on its own you drop the de.

Why does the verb drinken come before we here?

Dutch main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in the second position. Since Na afloop (an adverbial) occupies the first slot, drinken moves to the second slot and we follows in the third.

Why is there no article before koffie?

Here koffie is an uncountable (mass) noun meaning “coffee” in general. Mass nouns don’t take an article in Dutch. If you wanted one cup of coffee, you’d say een kop koffie.

Why do we use drinken with koffie, while in English we “have” coffee?

In Dutch you literally drink your coffee: koffie drinken. Saying koffie hebben would mean “to possess coffee,” not “to drink it.”

Why is we used instead of wij?

We is the weak (unstressed) form of wij and is used far more often in speech and informal writing. Both mean “we,” but wij is slightly more emphatic.

Could we say We drinken na afloop koffie in de keuken instead? Is it the same?

Yes. If you start with we, you keep drinken in second position:
“We drinken na afloop koffie in de keuken.”
The meaning is identical, though starting with Na afloop shifts emphasis onto when the coffee is drunk.

What is the difference between na afloop and using nadat + a clause (e.g. “Nadat de vergadering is afgelopen…”)?

Na afloop is a preposition + noun acting as an adverbial phrase.
Nadat introduces a subordinate clause, so the conjugated verb goes to the end:
“Nadat de vergadering afgelopen is, drinken we koffie…”
Both convey “after something ends,” but nadat requires a full clause and verb-final word order.

Why is the preposition in used here? Could we use naar or op?

In de keuken means “in the kitchen” (location).
Naar de keuken would mean “to the kitchen” (movement toward).
Op de keuken isn’t used for rooms (that’d be “on top of something”).
So for “drinking coffee inside the kitchen,” you need in.

Why is it in de keuken, not in het keuken? How do I know which article to use?

Dutch nouns are either common gender (de) or neuter (het). Keuken is common gender, so it takes de. Unfortunately there’s no foolproof rule—gender often must be learned along with the noun.