Learn Hardcore Dutch: Doe de gordijnen open zodra je opstaat. - Open the curtains as soon as you get up.

They come from the separable verb opendoen (“to open”). In an imperative you use the form of doen (here doe) at the front, and you move the separable prefix open to the very end of the clause. That’s why you get Doe de gordijnen open instead of Open de gordijnen (though that second version is also possible—see next question).

Can I say Open de gordijnen instead?

Yes. Openen can also be treated as a regular (non-separable) verb in Dutch, so Open de gordijnen (“Open the curtains”) is perfectly correct. However, when you physically pull curtains open you’ll often hear the separable form Doe de gordijnen open.

Why is the clause zodra je opstaat having the verb at the end?

Zodra is a subordinating conjunction (“as soon as”), so it sends the finite verb to the end of its clause. After zodra you see the subject je, and then the verb opstaat at the very end.

What does opstaat mean, and why is it one word here?

Opstaan is another separable verb meaning “to get up.” In subordinate clauses Dutch orthography requires you to write the prefix and verb together, so je staat op (main‐clause word order) becomes je opstaat when zodra introduces the clause.

Why is je used instead of jij?

In subordinate clauses speakers typically use the unstressed pronoun je rather than the emphatic jij. You could say zodra jij opstaat for emphasis, but je is more neutral and common.

Why is there no subject pronoun in Doe de gordijnen open?

In Dutch imperatives you normally omit the subject pronoun. The command form implicitly addresses “you.” If you wanted to add emphasis you could say Doe jij de gordijnen open, but it’s not required.