Learn Hardcore Dutch: In het weekend is onze ochtendroutine korter, omdat we langer uitslapen. - On the weekend our morning routine is shorter, because we sleep in longer.

Using op (op het weekend) is not standard in the Netherlands; you may encounter it in some Belgian varieties, but in het weekend is the “safe” standard form.

Note that in het weekend can mean both:

a specific coming weekend: “In het weekend doen we iets leuks.”
a habitual action: “In het weekend is onze ochtendroutine korter.” (every weekend, generally)

Why “het weekend” and not “de weekend”?

In Dutch, “weekend” is a het-word (neuter noun), so you say:

het weekend (singular)
de weekenden (plural)

There’s no rule you can deduce from the English; you simply have to learn each Dutch noun with its article. So you learn het weekend as a fixed combination.

Why does the verb “is” come right after “In het weekend”? Couldn’t it be later?

Dutch main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb (here: is) must be in second position in the sentence.

In the example:

In het weekend – this whole phrase is in first position.
is – the finite verb must come next (second position).
onze ochtendroutine korter – the rest of the clause.

So:

In het weekend is onze ochtendroutine korter. ✅

If you start with the subject instead, the verb still stays second:

Onze ochtendroutine is in het weekend korter. ✅

The verb doesn’t “move later” just because you added something at the front; it always stays in second position in a main clause.

Can I also say “Onze ochtendroutine is korter in het weekend, omdat we langer uitslapen.”?

Yes, that is completely correct Dutch, just with a different word order:

Original: In het weekend is onze ochtendroutine korter, omdat we langer uitslapen.
Alternative: Onze ochtendroutine is korter in het weekend, omdat we langer uitslapen.

Both mean the same. The only difference is what you emphasize first:

Starting with In het weekend highlights the time (weekends).
Starting with Onze ochtendroutine highlights the routine itself.

Grammatically, both are fine.

Why is it “korter” and not just “kort” or “meer kort”?

Korter is the comparative form of kort (“short”), just like English shorter.

In Dutch, for most short adjectives, you form the comparative by adding -er:

kort → korter (short → shorter)
lang → langer (long → longer)
groot → groter (big → bigger)

You don’t normally say “meer kort”. That’s like saying “more short” in English – technically understandable, but not idiomatic. So:

Onze ochtendroutine is korter = Our morning routine is shorter
(it takes less time than usual).

Why is there a comma before “omdat”, and what does it do to the word order?

Omdat is a subordinating conjunction meaning “because”. It introduces a subordinate clause.

In Dutch, subordinate clauses have the finite verb at the end. So:

Main clause: In het weekend is onze ochtendroutine korter
Subordinate clause: omdat we langer uitslapen
(verb uitslapen goes to the end)

About the comma:

With comma: In het weekend is onze ochtendroutine korter, omdat we langer uitslapen.
Without comma: In het weekend is onze ochtendroutine korter omdat we langer uitslapen.

Both are acceptable in modern Dutch. The comma often makes the sentence easier to read, especially for learners, but it is not strictly required.

Why is it “omdat we langer uitslapen” and not “omdat we langer slapen uit”?

Uitslapen is a separable verb:

Infinitive: uitslapen
Main-clause present: ik slaap uit (the parts split: verb + particle)
Subordinate clause or infinitive: the parts come together: uitslapen

In a main clause you would say:

We slapen langer uit.
(finite verb slapen in second position, particle uit at the end)

But in a subordinate clause (after omdat) the whole verb, including the particle, goes to the end together:

omdat we langer uitslapen ✅
not: omdat we langer slapen uit ❌

So the pattern is:

Main clause: … slapen we langer uit.
Subordinate clause: omdat we langer uitslapen.

What exactly does “uitslapen” mean, and how is it different from just “slapen”?

Slapen = to sleep.
Uitslapen = to sleep in / to sleep late / to sleep longer than usual to rest.

So:

Ik slaap elke nacht acht uur.
I sleep eight hours every night.
Op zondag slaap ik uit.
On Sunday I sleep in / I sleep late.

In your sentence:

omdat we langer uitslapen
means: because we sleep in for longer / because we stay in bed and sleep longer (than on weekdays).

It carries the nuance of resting, not getting up early, not just sleeping more hours in general.

Why is it “we” and not “wij” in “omdat we langer uitslapen”?

Dutch has two forms for “we”:

wij – stressed form, used for emphasis.
we – unstressed, neutral form, used in normal speech.

In your sentence, there is no special emphasis on “we”, so the neutral we fits best:

omdat we langer uitslapen = normal, neutral.
omdat wij langer uitslapen = would put extra emphasis on we, like “because we sleep in longer (as opposed to others).”

Both are grammatically correct; we is simply stylistically more natural here.

Why is it “onze ochtendroutine” and not “ons ochtendroutine”?

The choice between ons and onze depends on the gender and number of the noun:

ons is used with het-words in the singular:
- ons huis (het huis)
onze is used with:
- all de-words: onze tafel (de tafel)
- all plural nouns: onze huizen (de huizen, plural)

Ochtendroutine is a de-word: de ochtendroutine, so you must use onze:

onze ochtendroutine ✅
ons ochtendroutine ❌

Why is “ochtendroutine” written as one word and not “ochtend routine”?

Dutch loves compound nouns. When two nouns belong together closely and form one concept, Dutch usually writes them as one word:

ochtend + routine → ochtendroutine (morning routine)
huis + deur → huisdeur (house door)
tafel + lamp → tafellamp (table lamp)

In English you often use a space (“morning routine”), but in Dutch the default is to glue them together.

Does “In het weekend” here mean “every weekend” or “this specific weekend”? How do I say “on weekends (in general)” in Dutch?

In het weekend can mean both:

Habitual / general:
- In het weekend is onze ochtendroutine korter.
  = On weekends, our morning routine is shorter. (generally, as a habit)
Specific upcoming / last weekend, depending on context:
- In het weekend gaan we naar het strand.
  = This weekend we’re going to the beach. (from context)

If you want to emphasize general habit, you can also say:

In het weekend – already common and often used for habits.
In de weekenden – literally “in the weekends”; more explicit plural, but sounds a bit heavier and is used less often in everyday speech.

In most everyday contexts, In het weekend is perfectly natural for “on weekends (in general)”.