Learn Hardcore Dutch: Ik wil vanavond alleen thuis blijven.

Dutch main clauses are verb‑second (V2): the finite verb goes in slot 2. Here, Ik is slot 1 (the subject) and wil is slot 2. If you front an element like vanavond, you must invert: Vanavond wil ik alleen thuisblijven.

Why is blijven at the end?

With a modal verb (like willen, kunnen, moeten, mogen, zullen), the main verb is an infinitive and moves to the end: Ik wil … blijven. No conjugation on blijven here.

Do I need te before blijven?

No. After modal verbs (wil/kan/moet/mag/zal), you use the bare infinitive: Ik wil … blijven, not Ik wil … te blijven.

Should thuisblijven be one word or two?

As a separable verb, the infinitive is written as one word: thuisblijven. So: Ik wil vanavond alleen thuisblijven. When used without a modal, it separates: Ik blijf vanavond thuis. You will see thuis blijven with a space in informal writing, but the standard spelling in the infinitive is one word.

Does alleen mean “alone” or “only” here?

Both meanings exist. In this sentence, alleen means “alone” because it sits next to thuis: alleen thuis(blijven) = “be at home alone.” If you place alleen before a time element, it means “only”: Ik wil alleen vanavond thuisblijven = “I only want to stay home tonight.”

Where should I put alleen to avoid ambiguity?

Keep alleen close to what it modifies:

“Alone at home”: Ik wil vanavond alleen thuisblijven.
“Only tonight (not other nights)”: Ik wil alleen vanavond thuisblijven.
Extra emphasis on being alone (more marked): Ik wil vanavond thuis alleen blijven.

Is the order vanavond – alleen – thuis deliberate?

Yes. Dutch prefers Time–Manner–Place. Vanavond (time), alleen (manner), thuis (place), then the infinitive at the end: … thuisblijven. Other orders are possible for emphasis, but this is the neutral order.

Why vanavond and not in de avond or deze avond?

Vanavond means “tonight/this evening” and is the default. In de avond means “in the evening” in general. Deze avond is common in Belgian Dutch; in the Netherlands it sounds marked/formal or regional.

Is vanavond literally “from evening”? What about the night?

No—vanavond is a fixed compound meaning “this evening/tonight.” It’s not “from evening.” Related forms: vandaag (today), vanmiddag (this afternoon), vannacht (tonight during the night).

What’s the difference between thuis, naar huis, and in huis?

thuis = at home: Ik ben thuis.
naar huis = (go) home: Ik ga naar huis.
in huis = in the house (inside the building): Ik ben in huis (not necessarily “at home” in the broader sense).

Could I say Ik wil vanavond alleen thuis zijn instead of … blijven?

Yes. Zijn (“be”) is possible: Ik wil vanavond alleen thuis zijn. Blijven (“stay”) stresses the idea of not going out and remaining there; zijn merely states being at home. In practice, they overlap a lot here.

Is Ik wil too direct? How can I soften it?

Ik wil can sound blunt. Softer options:

Ik wil graag vanavond alleen thuisblijven.
Ik blijf vanavond liever alleen thuis.
Ik zou (graag) vanavond alleen thuisblijven.
Ik denk dat ik vanavond alleen thuisblijf.

How do I negate this, and where does niet go?

General negation: Ik wil vanavond niet thuisblijven. (I don’t want to stay home tonight.)
Negating “alone”: Ik wil vanavond niet alleen thuisblijven. (I don’t want to stay home alone.)
“Only not tonight”: Ik wil alleen vanavond niet thuisblijven. (The only time I don’t want to stay home is tonight.)

What happens if I front vanavond?

You get inversion (V2): Vanavond wil ik alleen thuisblijven. The finite verb wil stays second, and the subject ik follows it.

What would a subordinate clause look like?

Finite verbs move to the end: … omdat ik vanavond alleen thuis wil blijven. (… because I want to stay home alone tonight.)

Any pronunciation tips for the tricky sounds?

ui in thuis ≈ a rounded diphthong, somewhat like the vowel in French “oeil.”
ij in blijven sounds like ei; both are pronounced the same, roughly like English “ay” in “day” but starting more open.
Dutch w (in wil) is a soft, labiodental sound [ʋ], not the English [w].
th in thuis is just t; there is no English “th” sound in Dutch.
aa in vanavond is a long a: va-naa-vond.

Is ik always capitalized like English “I”?

No. Dutch ik is only capitalized at the beginning of a sentence (as here) or in stylized contexts.