Learn Hardcore Dutch: Sowieso is het vliegveld ver weg, dus we vertrekken vroeg. - In any case the airport is far away, so we leave early.

It’s best read as bold in any case / anyway / regardless bold. It can also mean bold definitely bold in other contexts. In this sentence it sets up a conclusion: bold In any case, the airport is far away, so we’re leaving early bold.

Can bold sowieso bold start a sentence, and does it affect word order?

Yes. When you front an adverb like bold sowieso bold, Dutch applies the verb‑second rule: the finite verb goes to position 2. Hence bold Sowieso is het vliegveld… bold rather than bold Sowieso het vliegveld is… bold.

Alternative with mid‑sentence placement: bold Het vliegveld is sowieso ver weg… bold (no inversion needed there).
Nuance: sentence‑initial bold sowieso bold frames what follows as a given or summary; mid‑sentence bold sowieso bold often has the “definitely” reading.

Is bold sowieso bold formal? What are safer alternatives?

bold Sowieso bold is common and fine in everyday speech and writing, but feels informal to some. More neutral/formal options:

bold in ieder geval / in elk geval bold = in any case
bold hoe dan ook bold = anyway / come what may
For “definitely”: bold zeker / beslist bold

What’s the difference between bold sowieso bold and these near‑synonyms?

bold sowieso bold: in any case; also “definitely.”
bold in ieder geval bold: in any case (neutral register).
bold hoe dan ook bold: anyway / no matter what (slightly stronger).
bold toch bold: anyway/though (often contrasts expectations).
bold zeker bold: definitely/certainly (no “regardless” meaning).

Why does bold is bold come before bold het vliegveld bold?

Dutch main clauses are verb‑second. Because bold Sowieso bold occupies the first slot, the finite verb bold is bold must be second, and the subject bold het vliegveld bold comes after it:

bold Sowieso | is | het vliegveld | ver weg bold
Without a fronted element: bold Het vliegveld is ver weg bold (subject first, so no inversion).

Could I say bold Sowieso het vliegveld is ver weg bold?

No. That violates verb‑second. With bold Sowieso bold in first position, the finite verb must be second: bold Sowieso is het vliegveld ver weg bold.

After bold dus bold, should it be bold dus we vertrekken bold or bold dus vertrekken we bold?

Both occur in real Dutch:

bold …, dus we vertrekken vroeg. bold (coordinating “so,” subject–verb order)
bold …, dus vertrekken we vroeg. bold (treats bold dus bold as a sentence adverb; triggers inversion) Both are acceptable. If you want a more clearly “therefore” feel with obligatory inversion, use bold daarom bold: bold …; daarom vertrekken we vroeg. bold

Do I need a comma before bold dus bold?

When bold dus bold links two independent main clauses, a comma is customary: bold … ver weg, dus we vertrekken vroeg. bold In short sentences it’s sometimes omitted, but the comma is a safe choice.

Is bold het vliegveld bold the only way to say “airport”?

No. Two common options:

bold het vliegveld bold: “airfield/airport” (everyday, can sound smaller/less formal)
bold de luchthaven bold: “airport” (more formal/official; very common in Belgium/Flanders) Both are correct; choose based on tone and region.

Should it be bold is ver weg bold or bold ligt ver weg bold?

Both are fine:

bold Het vliegveld is ver weg. bold (neutral “is far away”)
bold Het vliegveld ligt ver weg. bold (“lies/sits far away,” common with locations) Using bold liggen bold for places is very idiomatic in Dutch.

Is bold ver weg bold one word or two? And how is it different from bold verreweg bold?

bold ver weg bold is two words and means “far away.”
bold verreweg bold is one word and means “by far,” as in bold Dat is verreweg het beste plan. bold

Does bold weg bold here mean “road”?

No. bold weg bold has several meanings:

As an adverb: “away” (as in bold ver weg bold = far away).
As a noun (bold de weg bold): “road/way.”
As an adjective: “gone” (bold De pijn is weg bold = the pain is gone). Context disambiguates it.

What’s the difference between bold we bold and bold wij bold?

Both mean “we.” bold we bold is the default unstressed form. bold wij bold is the stressed/contrastive form:

bold Dus wij vertrekken vroeg, niet zij. bold (We, not they, are leaving early.) In neutral statements here, bold we bold is natural.

When should I use bold vertrekken bold versus bold weggaan bold?

bold vertrekken bold = depart (often planned/scheduled, travel contexts). Takes prepositions like bold om [tijd] bold, bold van(uit) [plaats] bold, bold naar [bestemming] bold.
- bold We vertrekken om vijf uur van huis. bold
bold weggaan bold = go away/leave (more general, informal).
- bold We gaan vroeg weg. bold Your sentence uses bold vertrekken bold because it’s about a planned departure.

How do I talk about past or planned departure with bold vertrekken bold?

Present/future plan: bold We vertrekken (morgen) vroeg. bold
Perfect (we left): bold We zijn vroeg vertrokken. bold (auxiliary bold zijn bold)
Simple past (NL/BE preference varies): bold We vertrokken vroeg. bold
Explicit future: bold We zullen vroeg vertrekken. bold (less common; present usually suffices with a time word)

Does bold vroeg bold ever mean something else? I’ve seen bold vroeg bold as “asked.”

Yes, bold vroeg bold is:

An adverb/adjective: “early” (bold We vertrekken vroeg bold).
The simple past of bold vragen bold (to ask): bold Ik vroeg iets. bold Same spelling; context tells you which it is. The comparative/superlative for time are bold vroeger bold (earlier / in the past) and bold het vroegst bold (the earliest).

Could I say bold We vertrekken dus vroeg bold instead?

Yes. Mid‑sentence bold dus bold acts like a discourse marker (“so/therefore”) and often sounds like you’re drawing a conclusion the listener already knows about: bold Het vliegveld is ver weg; we vertrekken dus vroeg. bold Slightly different emphasis, but fully idiomatic.