Breakdown of De was gaat daarna in de droger, want het regent buiten.
gaan
to go
in
in
want
because
het
it
buiten
outside
daarna
then
regenen
to rain
de was
the laundry
de droger
the dryer
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Questions & Answers about De was gaat daarna in de droger, want het regent buiten.
What does de was mean here? Isn’t was also the past tense of “to be”?
Here de was is a noun meaning the laundry. It’s unrelated to the past tense was of zijn (to be). As a noun you’ll also see het wasgoed with the same meaning, and the common phrase de was doen (to do the laundry).
Why is it de was and not het was?
Because the noun was (laundry) is a de-word. You just have to memorize noun gender in Dutch; there’s no rule here making it a het-word.
Is de was treated as singular or plural? Why is it gaat and not gaan?
It’s grammatically singular and takes singular verb agreement: de was gaat. Even though it refers to many items, it behaves like an uncountable mass noun.
Why say gaat … in the dryer? Wouldn’t we doen/stoppen de was in de droger be more natural?
All are natural:
- Neutral/process style: De was gaat in de droger.
- With an agent: We doen/stoppen de was in de droger.
- Passive: De was wordt in de droger gedaan. The version with gaat is common in instructions or when listing steps.
Why in de droger and not naar de droger or op de droger?
- in = into/inside a container (correct here).
- naar = towards a destination, not inside, so it’s odd here.
- op = on top of; wrong for a dryer you put things inside.
Is de droger the usual word? Any synonyms or regional differences?
Yes, de droger (also de wasdroger) is standard in the Netherlands. In Belgium you’ll often hear de droogkast. Older/less common synonyms include de droogtrommel.
What exactly does daarna mean? Could I use dan or toen instead?
- daarna = afterwards/after that (neutral for sequences).
- dan can also mean “then” in sequences and would work here in speech.
- toen refers to a specific moment in the past; you’d only use it if you’re narrating a past sequence.
Where can daarna go in the sentence? Does it cause inversion?
- As given: De was gaat daarna in de droger (subject before verb).
- Fronted: Daarna gaat de was in de droger (adverb first, so verb-second inversion). Both are correct. Placing daarna at the very end is less natural here.
Why is there a comma before want?
Want links two main clauses and introduces a reason. A comma before want is customary and preferred in standard Dutch: …, want ….
What’s the difference between want and omdat here? Does word order change?
- want = coordinating “for/because” and keeps normal main-clause word order: want het regent buiten (verb in second position).
- omdat = subordinating “because,” and the finite verb goes to the end: omdat het buiten regent.
You can also front the omdat-clause: Omdat het buiten regent, gaat de was daarna in de droger.
Is het regent buiten okay, or is buiten redundant?
It’s fine, though buiten is often omitted because rain is normally outside. Speakers add buiten for emphasis or contrast (e.g., it’s dry inside but raining outside).
Can I move buiten elsewhere?
Yes, but the default is at the end: het regent buiten. You can also say buiten regent het (more marked/poetic or for contrast). Avoid splitting the verb and buiten in odd ways.
Could I say Het is aan het regenen instead of Het regent?
Yes. Het is aan het regenen emphasizes the ongoing nature (progressive aspect). In everyday speech, Het regent is more common and neutral.
Is the overall style natural? Any alternative phrasing a person might use?
It’s natural and a bit neutral/instructional. Conversational alternatives:
- Daarna doe ik de was in de droger, want het regent.
- We stoppen de was daarna in de droger, omdat het buiten regent.