Learn Hardcore Dutch: Ik zoek mijn afstandsbediening, want de televisie staat aan. - I am looking for my remote control because the television is on.

Aanstaan is a separable verb in Dutch, meaning “to be on” (for appliances). In a main clause, the prefix aan detaches and moves to the end. So:

de televisie staat aan = literally “the television stands on,” i.e. “the TV is on.”
In a subordinate clause with a subordinating conjunction (omdat, als, etc.), aan would also go at the very end: “omdat de televisie aan staat.”

Why is want used here instead of omdat, and how does that affect word order?

Want and omdat both mean “because,” but they differ in grammar:

want is a coordinating conjunction (like English “for”), so it introduces an independent clause with normal main‐clause word order: finite verb in second position.
omdat is a subordinating conjunction (“because”), so it pushes the finite verb to the end of its clause.
Example:
• Ik zoek mijn afstandsbediening, want de televisie staat aan. (V2: staat is second.)
• Ik zoek mijn afstandsbediening omdat de televisie aan staat. (Verb at the end.)

Is the comma before want obligatory?

No, the comma before a coordinating conjunction like want is optional in Dutch. Many writers include it to mark the break between two full sentences, but you can also write:
Ik zoek mijn afstandsbediening want de televisie staat aan.
Both are grammatically correct; using a comma is more a matter of style or clarity.

Should I include naar in ik zoek mijn afstandsbediening? Why isn’t it ik zoek naar mijn afstandsbediening?

In Dutch, zoeken can be used two ways:

Transitive (direct object): ik zoek mijn sleutels.
Intransitive + preposition naar: ik zoek naar mijn sleutels.
Both patterns are correct, but the direct‐object variant is very common. You can choose either with no change in meaning.

Why is there an -s- in afstandsbediening? What does it do?

The -s- is a linking element (tussen-s) used in many Dutch compounds to improve flow or mark possession/connection.
• afstand (distance) + bediening (control) → afstandsbediening (“remote control”).
You usually have to learn by exposure which compounds take an -s-, but common patterns exist (e.g. words ending in –t, –d).

In English I’d say “I’m looking for my remote control.” Why does Dutch use ik zoek instead of a continuous form?

Dutch doesn’t have a single progressive tense. It normally uses the simple present for both “I look” and “I’m looking.” To emphasize continuity, you can use the periphrastic construction:
• Ik ben mijn afstandsbediening aan het zoeken.
But ik zoek mijn afstandsbediening already covers “I’m looking for my remote control.”

How could I replace mijn afstandsbediening with a pronoun in this sentence?

Afstandsbediening is a common‐gender noun (once you merge de‐words), so you use hem as the object pronoun:
Ik zoek hem, want de televisie staat aan.
(“I’m looking for it/him, because the TV is on.”)

Why does the sentence use staan instead of zijn for “to be on”? Could you say de televisie is aan?

Both are possible:

de televisie staat aan (using separable verb aanstaan) is very common for devices.
de televisie is aan treats aan as a predicative adjective and is also understood.
Stylistically, staat aan is slightly more “idiomatic” for electronics, but you won’t be misunderstood with is aan.