Learn Hardcore Dutch: Kom dichterbij, dan kun je de muziek beter horen. - Come closer, then you can hear the music better.

dan functions as a result conjunction, linking the action in the first clause to its consequence in the second clause. In English it corresponds to then in a “if …, then …” construction.

Why is there a comma before dan?

In Dutch, two main clauses joined by dan as a coordinating conjunction are typically separated by a comma, just as English uses a comma before a coordinating conjunction like and or then.

Why does the verb kun come before je in dan kun je? Shouldn’t it be dan je kun?

Dutch main clauses follow the verb-second (V2) word order: the finite verb must occupy the second position. Since dan is in first position, kun comes next, before the subject je.

Why is kom dichterbij written as one word for dichterbij, not two words like dichter bij?

dichterbij is a fixed adverb meaning closer and is written as a single word. When you add an object or location you might separate them (e.g. dichter bij mij), but as an adverb on its own it's dichterbij.

Why is it kom, and not komt in the first part?

Kom is the imperative (command) form of komen for the second person singular (jij). In Dutch imperatives you use the verb stem, so kom rather than komt.

Why is there a definite article de before muziek? Couldn’t I say muziek without it?

In Dutch you use the definite article when referring to a specific instance of something. Here it’s the music that’s playing right now, so you say de muziek. Omitting the article (muziek) would sound more general or abstract.

Could we place beter elsewhere, like in kun je beter de muziek horen instead of de muziek beter horen?

Yes, kun je beter de muziek horen is also grammatically correct. Moving beter before the object shifts the slight emphasis onto your ability to hear, but both orders are common. The most neutral phrasing in spoken Dutch is de muziek beter horen.