1. The main verb must always be the second item in a sentence.
2. The position of the subject may vary. It might be the first or the third.
3. The rest of the items always follow this order: time, manner, place. So the time of the even is specified, then the manner of the event (i.e. in what way something is done) and the last item specifies the place or destination.
De jongen gaat vanavond met de trein naar Amsterdam.
| item number | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| item description | subject | main verb | time | manner | place |
| sentence | De jongen | gaat | vanavond | met de trein | naar Amsterdam |
It is possible to start a sentence with items other than the subject. For example, with an expression of time:
Vanavond gaat de jongen met de trein naar Amsterdam.
| item number | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| item description | time | main verb | subject | manner | place |
| sentence | Vanavond | gaat | de jongen | met de trein | naar Amsterdam |
Notice that even though de jongen is now item 3,
the overall order of time, manner, place remains.
::Keep in Dutch:: 