Learn Hardcore Dutch: Ik ben gevoelig voor kou, daarom blijf ik binnen. - I am sensitive to the cold, so I stay inside.

In Dutch, gevoelig is an adjective that requires voor when indicating what you are sensitive to. So gevoelig voor kou literally means “sensitive to cold.” Using aan, tegen or any other preposition here would be incorrect.

Why is there no article before kou in gevoelig voor kou? Can I say voor de kou instead?

When you talk about a phenomenon in general, Dutch often omits the article: gevoelig voor kou (sensitive to cold in general). If you add de, as in gevoelig voor de kou, you refer more to a specific cold or the current cold weather. Both are grammatically correct; the version without de is simply more general.

What role does daarom play, and why does the word order change in the second clause?

Daarom is a conjunctive adverb meaning “therefore.” It links two main clauses. When daarom starts a clause, the finite verb must come immediately after it, causing inversion:
daarom blijf ik binnen
(adverb – verb – subject – rest)

Can I replace daarom with dus, and does anything change?

Yes. Dus also means “so” or “therefore.” You can say:
Ik ben gevoelig voor kou, dus blijf ik binnen.
Both are correct; daarom is a bit more formal, dus is more conversational. Word order (inversion) stays the same.

Is binnen an adverb or a preposition here, and could I use thuis instead?

In this sentence, binnen is an adverb meaning “indoors.” Thuis means “at home,” which is more specific. If you say blijf ik thuis, you’re saying “I stay at home,” not just “indoors” in general. Choose binnen for “indoors” and thuis for “at home.”

Can I link the clauses with omdat instead of using daarom?

Absolutely. Omdat introduces a subordinate clause, which pushes the verb to the end:
Omdat ik gevoelig ben voor kou, blijf ik binnen.
Note that ben moves to clause-final position in the omdat-clause.

Why is ben in second position in Ik ben gevoelig voor kou?

Dutch main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be the second element. Here Ik is the first element, so ben comes right after it in second position, followed by the rest of the predicate.

Could I use a different verb than blijven to express “I stay indoors”?

You could, but blijven is the most natural for “to stay.” Alternatives change the nuance:

zit ik binnen (“I sit indoors”)
verblijf ik binnen (“I reside indoors,” more formal)
If you simply want “I stay indoors,” blijf ik binnen is your best choice.