De leraar praat en de studenten luisteren.
English: The teacher speaks and the students listen.
- Language
- Dutch
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Bijzinnen en samengestelde zinnen
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In Dutch, 'congruence in compound sentences' means that the verb must agree in number and person with the subject in each clause, even when there are multiple clauses in a sentence.
When to use it
Use congruence in Dutch whenever you build sentences with more than one clause (compound or complex sentences). Each clause must have its own subject and verb, and the verb must agree with the subject in number (singular/plural) and person.
Key forms
- Het meisje leest een boek en haar broer speelt buiten.
- De kinderen lachen omdat zij blij zijn.
- Ik weet dat hij morgen komt.
Examples
Zij zegt dat ze morgen vertrekt.
English: She says that she is leaving tomorrow.
Wij werken hard omdat we goede cijfers willen halen.
English: We work hard because we want to get good grades.
Mijn ouders reizen vaak, maar mijn zus blijft thuis.
English: My parents travel often, but my sister stays at home.
Tips
- Always check that the verb matches the subject in each clause, even if the subject changes.
- In Dutch, the subject and verb may be separated in subordinate clauses. Make sure to use the correct verb form.
- Do not use the same verb form for different subjects unless they are both plural or both singular.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Sometimes, in informal speech, people may omit the subject in the second clause if it is the same as in the first, but this is not standard in written Dutch.