Learn Hardcore Dutch: Eindelijk is er opluchting, want de trein is op tijd aangekomen. - Finally there is relief, because the train has arrived on time.

Dutch uses the auxiliary zijn with many intransitive verbs that indicate movement or a change of state. Aankomen (to arrive) is one of them, so the perfect tense is formed with zijn: de trein is aangekomen. Using heeft aangekomen is incorrect.

Common verbs that take zijn:

Movement: komen, gaan, vertrekken, terugkomen, binnenkomen, opstaan
Change of state: worden, blijven, sterven, vallen, gebeuren

Examples:

De trein is op tijd aangekomen.
Hij is laat vertrokken.

What does “er” do in “is er opluchting”?

Here er is a dummy/existential subject, similar to English “there” in “There is relief.” It introduces the existence of something without making it the topic. Without er, Is opluchting would sound ungrammatical/unnatural in Dutch.

Natural: Er is opluchting.
Question: Is er opluchting?
More personal alternative: We voelen opluchting or We zijn opgelucht.

Why does the verb come before “er” in “Eindelijk is er opluchting”?

Dutch main clauses follow the “verb-second” (V2) rule: the finite verb must be in second position. When you put Eindelijk (finally) at the start, it occupies the first position, so the verb is comes next. That pushes er after the verb:

Neutral order: Er is opluchting.
With initial adverb: Eindelijk is er opluchting.

Why is there no article before “opluchting”?

Opluchting (relief) is often used as an uncountable/abstract noun when referring to the general feeling, so no article is used: Er is opluchting.

With a more specific, countable meaning, you can use an article:

Dat is een opluchting. (“That’s a relief.”)

Can I say “We zijn opgelucht” instead of “Er is opluchting”?

Yes. Er is opluchting is impersonal (“there is relief”), while We zijn opgelucht is personal and focuses on the people feeling relieved. Both are correct; choose based on what you want to emphasize:

Impersonal state: Eindelijk is er opluchting.
Personal feeling: Eindelijk zijn we opgelucht.

Why is there a comma before “want”? Is it required?

Want is a coordinating conjunction meaning “because/for.” A comma before want is common and recommended for readability, but not strictly required by all style guides. After want, you keep normal main-clause word order:

… , want de trein is op tijd aangekomen.

With omdat (a subordinating conjunction), you normally don’t use a comma in short sentences, and the finite verb goes to the end of the subordinate clause:

… omdat de trein op tijd is aangekomen.

What’s the difference between “want” and “omdat”?

Want: coordinating; introduces a reason/explanation from the speaker’s perspective; keeps main-clause word order.
Example: We blijven binnen, want het regent.
Omdat: subordinating; introduces a factual cause; pushes the verb to the end of its clause.
Example: We blijven binnen omdat het regent.

Meaning often overlaps, but omdat sounds a bit more neutral/objective; want can feel more like an afterthought or justification.

Where should “op tijd” go? Can I say “De trein is aangekomen op tijd”?

The most idiomatic placement is before the past participle in the perfect:

Best: De trein is op tijd aangekomen.

You can place it after the participle (… is aangekomen op tijd), but that sounds less natural and is usually used for emphasis or in very formal writing. In the simple past with the separable verb, it naturally sits before the particle:

De trein kwam op tijd aan.

Is “aankomen” separable? How does it behave across tenses?

Yes. Aankomen is separable in simple tenses and recombines in the perfect.

Present: De trein komt op tijd aan.
Simple past: De trein kwam op tijd aan.
Perfect: De trein is op tijd aangekomen. (prefix + past participle of komen: aan + gekomen → aangekomen)
Future: De trein zal op tijd aankomen.
Negative (perfect): De trein is niet op tijd aangekomen.

Could I say “De trein is op tijd” instead of “op tijd aangekomen”?

De trein is op tijd means “the train is on schedule/on time” (as a state), not necessarily that it has arrived. De trein is op tijd aangekomen states the completed event of arriving on time. Use the latter if you want to emphasize the arrival.

Can I use “arriveren” or just “komen” instead of “aankomen”?

Arriveren is more formal: De trein is op tijd gearriveerd.
Komen alone is usually used for people: Hij is op tijd gekomen. For trains and other vehicles, aankomen is the idiomatic choice: De trein is op tijd aangekomen.

What’s the nuance of “op tijd” vs “tijdig”?

Both mean “on time/in time,” but:

Op tijd is the everyday expression: op tijd aankomen.
Tijdig is more formal/bureaucratic: tijdig aankomen, tijdige levering.

How do I pronounce the tricky sounds here?

eindelijk: roughly “EIN-duh-luhk” [ˈɛi̯n.də.lək] (the final -lijk is a schwa + k)
opluchting: “OP-luch-ting”; ch is like the Scottish “loch” , the u is like French “u” [ʏ]
aangekomen: “AAHN-ghə-koh-mən”; g is a voiced guttural [ɣ], aa is long [aː]
op tijd: “op tite”; ij sounds like English “ay” + “i” blended [ɛi̯]

Why is it “de trein” and not “het trein”?

Trein is a common-gender (de-) noun, so it takes de: de trein. You’ll see de with most words referring to people, animals, and many concrete objects; het is for neuter nouns. Unfortunately, you mostly have to learn each noun’s gender.

Why use the present perfect here instead of the simple past?

In spoken Dutch, the present perfect is preferred for completed past events with present relevance: de trein is aangekomen. The simple past is also correct, especially in narratives or written language:

De trein kwam op tijd aan.

Should it be “Er is” or “Er zijn”? How do I know which to use?

Agreement depends on the real subject that follows:

Singular/uncountable: Er is opluchting.
Plural: Er zijn problemen.
Indefinite singular noun is also possible with is: Er is een oplossing.

Can I move “eindelijk” elsewhere? Does it change the emphasis?

Yes. Placement affects focus.

Eindelijk is er opluchting… emphasizes the timing (“finally”) of the relief itself.
Er is eindelijk opluchting… emphasizes that the relief exists now (the adverb sticks closer to the noun phrase).
Eindelijk is de trein op tijd aangekomen. shifts the focus: the long-awaited event is the train’s on-time arrival, rather than the feeling of relief.