Ik moet toch nog mijn huiswerk afmaken voordat ik ga slapen.

Because Dutch main clauses usually follow the V2 rule: the finite (conjugated) verb goes in the second position.

So in:

Ik | moet | toch nog mijn huiswerk afmaken ...

• Ik is the first element
• moet is the finite verb, so it comes second

This is a very basic Dutch word-order rule. Even when there are other verbs later in the sentence, the conjugated verb still goes in position 2.

It can be translated as either, depending on context.

In everyday Dutch, moeten often feels like English have to / need to, not always the stronger, stricter must.

So here, English could be:

• I still have to finish my homework before I go to sleep.
• I must still finish my homework before I go to sleep.

In normal conversation, have to is often the most natural translation.

Toch is one of those Dutch words that is very common but hard to translate with one fixed English word.

In this sentence, it adds a sense like:

• after all
• actually
• really
• anyway

It often shows the speaker’s attitude rather than adding concrete information. Here it suggests something like:

• the speaker is reminding themself
• the speaker is acknowledging something that is still true
• there is a slight emphasis: I really do still have to finish my homework

So toch is often better understood by its effect than by a single direct translation.

Here, nog means still.

So:

• Ik moet nog mijn huiswerk afmaken
  = I still have to finish my homework

It shows that the action has not happened yet, but it is still pending.

Common meanings of nog include:

• still
• yet
• another / more

In this sentence, still is the right idea.

They do different jobs.

• nog gives the time-related meaning: the homework is still not finished
• toch adds the speaker’s attitude or emphasis

So:

• nog = still
• toch = after all / actually / really / anyway, depending on tone

Together, toch nog can feel like:

• I really still have to finish my homework
• I do still have to finish my homework after all

So they are not redundant; they add different kinds of meaning.

Because afmaken is a separable verb.

Its full infinitive is:

• afmaken = to finish / complete

But when the verb is conjugated in a main clause, the prefix af often separates:

• Ik maak mijn huiswerk af.
  = I finish my homework.

When the verb stays as an infinitive, it usually stays together:

• Ik moet mijn huiswerk afmaken.
  = I have to finish my homework.

So:

• maak ... af = separated, because the verb is finite in a main clause
• afmaken = together, because it is an infinitive here

Because after a modal verb like moeten, Dutch normally uses a bare infinitive.

So you say:

• Ik moet mijn huiswerk afmaken.

Not:

• Ik moet mijn huiswerk te afmaken. ❌

This is similar to English:

• I must finish
• not I must to finish

Common Dutch modal verbs that take the bare infinitive include:

• moeten = must / have to
• kunnen = can
• willen = want
• mogen = may / be allowed to
• zullen = shall / will

Because in Dutch, when you have a modal verb plus an infinitive, the infinitive often goes toward the end of the clause, and the object comes before it.

So Dutch says:

• Ik moet mijn huiswerk afmaken

Literally structured more like:

• I must my homework finish

That sounds wrong in English, but it is normal in Dutch.

So the order here is:

• subject: ik
• finite verb: moet
• middle part: toch nog mijn huiswerk
• infinitive at the end: afmaken

Because voordat means before, and it introduces a subordinate clause.

In Dutch subordinate clauses, the verb(s) go toward the end. So after voordat, you get:

• voordat ik ga slapen

This means:

• before I go to sleep

The verb group is ga slapen.

So the pattern is:

• voordat
  • subject + verb cluster

That is normal Dutch subordinate-clause word order.

Because gaan slapen means to go to sleep, which focuses on the transition into sleep.

Compare:

• voordat ik ga slapen = before I go to sleep
• voordat ik slaap = before I sleep / before I am asleep

The first one is more natural when talking about bedtime or the moment before sleeping. It matches English quite closely.

So in this sentence, ga slapen is the most natural choice.

In modern standard Dutch, voordat ik ga slapen is the normal, natural order.

Voordat ik slapen ga may sound:

• literary
• poetic
• old-fashioned
• regionally marked

So for everyday Dutch, learners should use:

• voordat ik ga slapen

Sometimes, yes, but the nuance may change slightly.

For example, these are both possible:

• Ik moet toch nog mijn huiswerk afmaken.
• Ik moet mijn huiswerk toch nog afmaken.

Both are understandable, but the emphasis shifts a little depending on where the particles are placed.

That said, word order is not completely free. Dutch has strong patterns for where modal particles and adverbs usually go. For a learner, the original sentence is a very natural model to copy.

So the safest choice is simply:

• Ik moet toch nog mijn huiswerk afmaken voordat ik ga slapen.

Yes, it sounds natural and idiomatic.

A native speaker could easily say:

• Ik moet toch nog mijn huiswerk afmaken voordat ik ga slapen.

It sounds like someone realizing or reminding themselves:

• I still need to finish my homework before going to sleep.

The combination of toch, nog, afmaken, and voordat ik ga slapen is completely normal in everyday Dutch.