Learn Hardcore Dutch: Zijn ochtendroutine is daardoor kort, want hij staat pas om acht uur op. - Because of that his morning routine is short, because he only gets up at eight o’clock.

"Daardoor" literally means "because of that" or "as a result of that". It refers back to something mentioned in the previous sentence/context and introduces the consequence.

In Dutch main clauses, the finite verb (here: is) usually comes in second position. Adverbs like "daardoor" go after that verb:

Zijn ochtendroutine is daardoor kort.
Subject (Zijn ochtendroutine) – verb (is) – adverb (daardoor) – rest.

You could move it to the front for emphasis:

Daardoor is zijn ochtendroutine kort.

But then "is" still stays in second position, and the subject moves after the verb.

What is the difference between "want" and "omdat", and why is "want" used here?

Both "want" and "omdat" mean "because", but:

want introduces a main clause and does not change word order.
omdat introduces a subordinate clause and sends the finite verb to the end.

In the sentence:

... want hij staat pas om acht uur op.
After "want", you get normal main-clause order: hij (subject) staat (verb) ...

If we used "omdat", it would become:

... omdat hij pas om acht uur opstaat.
Here "opstaat" goes to the end of the clause, because "omdat" creates a subordinate clause.

"Want" often feels a bit more informal or conversational than "omdat", and it presents the reason more as an afterthought or explanation.

Why is it "staat ... op" and not something like "opstaat" in this sentence?

"Opstaan" is a separable verb in Dutch:

Infinitive: opstaan (to get up)
Finite form in main clause: staat ... op

In a main clause, the prefix (here op) is separated and usually goes to the end:

Hij staat om acht uur op. – He gets up at eight o’clock.

In a subordinate clause (after omdat, dat, etc.), the verb parts stay together at the end:

... omdat hij om acht uur opstaat.

So "staat ... op" is correct here because this is a main clause introduced by "want".

Does "staat op" mean “stands up” or “gets up”? Is there a difference?

In this context, "hij staat om acht uur op" normally means:

He gets up at eight o’clock (gets out of bed in the morning).

Dutch often uses "opstaan" specifically for getting out of bed, not just any standing up.

If you want to emphasize the physical action of standing up from a chair, you’d usually indicate it with context:

Hij staat van zijn stoel op. – He gets up from his chair.

But in everyday talk, "om acht uur opstaan" is understood as waking up and getting out of bed.

What does "pas" mean here, and how is it different from "alleen" or "slechts"?

In "hij staat pas om acht uur op", "pas" means "not until" or "only (so late)", and it implies that the speaker thinks the time is late or later than expected.

Nuances:

pas – only, but with a sense of later than expected
- Hij staat pas om acht uur op. – He doesn’t get up until eight.
slechts – only, neutral / quantitative, often a bit formal
- Hij verdient slechts 10 euro per uur. – He earns only 10 euros per hour.
alleen – only, but mostly in the sense of “not more than / not with others”
- Hij staat alleen om acht uur op. – He alone gets up at eight (no one else does).
- For “only at eight (not before)”, "alleen" is not natural; "pas" is correct.

So here "pas" gives the idea: “his routine is short, because he doesn’t get up until eight.”

Why is the word order "hij staat pas om acht uur op" and not "hij staat om acht uur pas op"? Are both correct?

Both "hij staat pas om acht uur op" and "hij staat om acht uur pas op" are grammatically correct. Dutch allows some flexibility in the middle field (between the finite verb and the separable prefix).

Common, natural orders:

Hij staat pas om acht uur op. – The focus is on “not until” (pas).
Hij staat om acht uur pas op. – Slightly more emphasis on “at eight o’clock” being the late time.

Native speakers most often say "hij staat pas om acht uur op", but moving "pas" and the time phrase around is possible for subtle differences in emphasis.

Why do we say "om acht uur"? What does "om" do here, and can you drop it?

"Om" is a preposition that you use with clock times in Dutch. It corresponds to “at” in English:

om acht uur – at eight o’clock
om half negen – at half past eight
om vijf uur – at five o’clock

You cannot drop "om" in standard Dutch;
"hij staat acht uur op" would be incorrect/confusing.

So the natural form is always:

Hij staat om acht uur op.

What does "Zijn" mean at the beginning of the sentence? Is it a verb (“is” in English) or something else?

At the start of the sentence, "Zijn" is not the verb “to be”; it is a possessive pronoun meaning "his":

Zijn ochtendroutine – His morning routine.

The verb “to be” is "is" in this sentence:

Zijn ochtendroutine is daardoor kort.

So the structure is:

Zijn (his) ochtendroutine (morning routine) is (is) daardoor kort (short because of that).

Why is it "ochtendroutine" as one word? Can I write "ochtend routine"?

In Dutch, compound nouns are usually written as one word:

ochtend (morning) + routine → ochtendroutine (morning routine)

Writing "ochtend routine" as two separate words is incorrect in standard Dutch. Dutch generally prefers solid compounds:

ochtendjas – morning gown
ochtendwandeling – morning walk
ochtendspits – morning rush hour

So: "Zijn ochtendroutine", not "Zijn ochtend routine".

Why is it "kort" and not "korte" in "Zijn ochtendroutine is daardoor kort"?

In Dutch, adjectives behave differently depending on whether they come before a noun or after a linking verb like "zijn" (to be):

Before a noun (usually with -e ending):
- een korte routine – a short routine
- de korte routine – the short routine
After the verb "zijn" (predicative use), no -e:
- Zijn routine is kort. – His routine is short.
- De film is lang. – The movie is long.

In "Zijn ochtendroutine is daardoor kort", "kort" describes the state of the routine after "is", so it stays in its basic form without -e.