Learn Hardcore Dutch: Daarna lopen we verder; ondertussen praten we erover hoe nat de straat is. - After that we walk on; meanwhile we talk about how wet the street is.

Verder here is the separable prefix of the verb verderlopen (to continue walking). In main clauses, separable prefixes move to the end of the clause. So lopen we verder literally means “we continue walking.”

Why is the verb placed before the subject in Daarna lopen we verder, and what does daarna mean?

Daarna means “after that” or “afterwards.” In Dutch, when you begin a clause with an adverbial like daarna, you must follow the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb (lopen) appears in second position, so the subject (we) follows it.

Why use a semicolon between the two parts instead of a comma?

A semicolon links two closely related independent clauses without adding a conjunction. Both parts—
• Daarna lopen we verder
• Ondertussen praten we erover hoe nat de straat is
—can stand alone. You could also join them with a comma + en (“and”) or replace the semicolon with terwijl (“while”) and a comma.

What is ondertussen and why is it lowercase after the semicolon?

Ondertussen means “meanwhile” or “in the meantime.” Because it follows a semicolon (not a full stop), Dutch orthography keeps it lowercase.

Why do we say praten we erover and what is er doing there?

The phrase praten over means “to talk about.” Er is a placeholder pronoun referring to “that topic,” so erover = “about it.” It’s common but optional; you could also say praten we over hoe nat de straat is.

Why does hoe nat de straat is put the verb at the end?

That clause is subordinate and introduced by the question word hoe (“how”). In Dutch subordinate clauses (especially ones starting with a question word), the finite verb shifts to the very end of the clause.

Can I shorten hoe nat de straat is to something more informal?

Yes. You can replace de straat with the colloquial pronoun ’ie (“it”): “…praten we erover hoe nat ’ie is.”