Learn Hardcore Dutch: Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruzie hebben, maar daarna praten zij weer samen. - Tom and Anna can sometimes have an argument, but afterwards they talk together again.

Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruzie hebben, maar daarna praten zij weer samen.

Tom and Anna can sometimes have an argument, but afterwards they talk together again.

Breakdown of Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruzie hebben, maar daarna praten zij weer samen.

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Questions & Answers about Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruzie hebben, maar daarna praten zij weer samen.

Why do we say “ruzie hebben” instead of using a single verb for “to argue”?

In Dutch, “ruzie hebben” is a very common fixed expression meaning “to be in a quarrel / to be having a fight”.

Literally: “to have quarrel”
Natural English: “to argue / to fight (with each other)”

There is a single verb “ruziën” (to quarrel), but in everyday speech “ruzie hebben” is at least as common and often sounds more natural:

Tom en Anna hebben ruzie. – Tom and Anna are arguing.
Tom en Anna ruziën. – Tom and Anna are quarreling. (correct, a bit more “verby”)

So in your sentence “kunnen soms ruzie hebben” = “can sometimes be having a quarrel / can sometimes get into a fight.”

Why is “hebben” at the end of the first part: “Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruzie hebben”?

Dutch has two important word‑order rules that are both visible here:

Verb-second rule (V2) for main clauses
The conjugated (finite) verb must be in second position.
Here, “kunnen” is the finite verb, so it goes in position 2:
- Tom en Anna (position 1: subject)
- kunnen (position 2: finite verb)
- soms ruzie hebben (the rest)
Other verbs (infinitives, participles) go to the end of the clause
The verb “hebben” is an infinitive (not conjugated), so it goes to the end:
- Subject: Tom en Anna
- Finite verb: kunnen
- Other elements: soms ruzie
- Infinitive at the end: hebben

So: Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruzie hebben is the standard order, not “Tom en Anna kunnen hebben soms ruzie” or similar.

Could we leave out “kunnen” and just say “Tom en Anna hebben soms ruzie”? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say that, and it’s very natural:

Tom en Anna hebben soms ruzie.

Both sentences are correct, but there is a nuance:

Met “kunnen”:
“Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruzie hebben”
→ literally “Tom and Anna can sometimes have quarrels.”
This can sound a bit like: they’re capable of it / it happens from time to time; that’s how they are.
Zonder “kunnen”:
“Tom en Anna hebben soms ruzie”
→ “Tom and Anna sometimes have quarrels.”
This is a more straightforward statement of fact.

In everyday conversation, the version without “kunnen” is probably more common. The version with “kunnen” can feel a bit softer or more about their tendency: they can be the kind of couple that sometimes fights.

Why is “soms” placed after “kunnen”? Could it go in another place?

In “Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruzie hebben”, the word order is:

Subject: Tom en Anna
Finite verb: kunnen
Adverb of frequency: soms (sometimes)
Object/expression: ruzie
Infinitive: hebben

This is the most natural position for “soms”: after the finite verb.

Alternative options:

Soms hebben Tom en Anna ruzie.
(Here “soms” is in first position; the finite verb “hebben” is still second.)

But patterns like:

✗ Tom en Anna soms kunnen ruzie hebben
✗ Tom en Anna kunnen ruzie soms hebben (very odd)

are not natural in standard Dutch.

So the usual choices are:

Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruzie hebben.
Tom en Anna hebben soms ruzie.
Soms hebben Tom en Anna ruzie.

All obey the verb-second rule and put “soms” in a typical adverb position.

Why is it “maar daarna praten zij weer samen” and not “maar daarna zij praten weer samen”?

Again, this is the verb-second rule.

The second clause is:

Daarna praten zij weer samen.

Structure:

First position: Daarna (Afterwards / after that)
Second position: praten (finite verb)
Then: zij (subject)
Then: weer samen (other information)

So:

Daarna praten zij weer samen. ✅ (correct)
✗ Daarna zij praten weer samen. ❌ (wrong: subject is in second position, verb is pushed to third)

If you started the sentence with the subject instead of “daarna”, then the subject would come first and the verb second:

Zij praten daarna weer samen.
Subject “zij” (1st), verb “praten” (2nd), adverb “daarna” later.

What is the difference between “zij” and “ze” here? Could we say “daarna praten ze weer samen”?

Both “zij” and “ze” mean “they”.

“zij” is the stressed / full form.
“ze” is the unstressed / weak form.

In your sentence, both are grammatically correct:

Daarna praten zij weer samen.
→ Slight emphasis on they (as in they talk again, not someone else).
Daarna praten ze weer samen.
→ More neutral and very common in spoken Dutch.

Often:

At the beginning of a sentence you naturally see “zij”:
Zij praten weer samen.
After the verb, both are possible. Using “zij” there can sound a bit more formal or emphasising; “ze” feels more casual.

So yes, “Daarna praten ze weer samen” is perfectly correct and probably what many people would say in everyday conversation.

What does “weer” mean in “praten zij weer samen”?

“Weer” here means “again” (or “back to how it was before”).

In this context:

praten zij weer samen
→ “they talk together again” / “they talk together once more”

The idea is:
They argued → after that, they return to talking together normally.

Other examples with “weer” as “again”:

Het regent weer. – It’s raining again.
Hij is weer blij. – He is happy again.

So “weer samen” = “together again”.

What exactly does “daarna” mean, and how is it different from just “dan”?

“Daarna” literally means “after that” or “afterwards”.

daar = there / that
na = after

So daarna = after that (thing/time just mentioned).

In your sentence:

maar daarna praten zij weer samen
→ “but after that they talk together again.”

Difference from “dan”:

dan = “then” in a more general, sequential sense.
It can mean the next step, but not necessarily “after that specific event”.

Often, both can be used, but:

daarna is more clearly “afterwards / after that”.
dan can be just “then / in that case / at that point”.

In this context, “Daarna praten zij weer samen” sounds slightly clearer and more specific than “Dan praten zij weer samen”.

Could we say “Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruziën” instead of “ruzie hebben”?

Yes, you can, and it is grammatically correct:

Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruziën.

Differences:

ruzie hebben
- Very common, everyday expression
- Slightly more “state-like”: they are in a quarrel / have a fight
ruziën
- A normal verb: to quarrel, to fight (verbally)
- Feels a bit more like emphasising the activity of arguing

In meaning, in this sentence, they are very close. Many native speakers would still prefer “ruzie hebben” in casual speech.

Why is there a comma before “maar” in “… ruzie hebben, maar daarna praten zij weer samen”? Is it required?

“Maar” is a coordinating conjunction meaning “but”.

You have two main clauses:

Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruzie hebben
(maar) daarna praten zij weer samen

In Dutch, it is very common (and recommended in more formal writing) to put a comma before “maar” when it connects two full clauses:

Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruzie hebben, maar daarna praten zij weer samen.

In short sentences, the comma is sometimes omitted in informal writing, but:

With two clear subjects and verbs, using the comma is good style.
It helps the reader see the contrast: “… but afterwards …”.

So it’s not absolutely mandatory in all casual contexts, but it is standard and correct here.

Why is the verb “kunnen” plural here (“kunnen” and not “kan”)?

The verb must agree in number with the subject.

Subject: Tom en Anna → that is they, plural.
The present‑tense form of “kunnen” (can) for “zij” (they) is “kunnen”.

Conjugation of kunnen (present):

ik kan – I can
jij / je kan / kunt – you can (singular)
hij / zij / het kan – he / she / it can
wij / jullie / zij kunnen – we / you (plural) / they can

So:

Tom kan soms ruzie hebben. – Tom can sometimes have quarrels.
Tom en Anna kunnen soms ruzie hebben. – Tom and Anna can sometimes have quarrels.

Using “kan” with a plural subject would be incorrect.