Ik eet ontbijt, nadat ik ben opgestaan.
English: I eat breakfast after I have gotten up.
- Language
- Dutch
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Bijzinnen en voegwoorden
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
'Nadat' is a Dutch conjunction used to connect two actions, where one action happens after another. It introduces a subordinate clause (bijzin) that explains what happened first.
When to use it
Use 'nadat' in Dutch when you want to say that one action happens only after another action has finished. It's common when describing sequences of events in the past or present.
Key forms
- 'Nadat' + subject + all verbs at the end (in the bijzin)
- Main clause + ', nadat' + subordinate clause
- Example: Ik ga naar huis, nadat ik klaar ben met werken.
Examples
We gaan wandelen, nadat het heeft geregend.
English: We go for a walk after it has rained.
Zij belt mij, nadat ze thuis is gekomen.
English: She calls me after she has come home.
Nadat ik mijn huiswerk heb gemaakt, kijk ik tv.
English: After I have done my homework, I watch TV.
Tips
- In the 'nadat'-clause, all verbs go to the end of the sentence.
- 'Nadat' is used when the first action is completely finished before the second starts.
- Be careful with verb tenses: often, the 'nadat'-clause uses perfect tense (hebben/zijn + past participle) for past events.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Sometimes, in spoken Dutch, people use the simple past instead of the perfect tense in the 'nadat'-clause, but in formal Dutch, the perfect is preferred.