Subordinate clauses (bijzinnen) in Dutch push the finite verb to the end of the clause. This is the opposite of main clause word order. The subordinating conjunctions that trigger this include: omdat (because), dat (that), als (if/when), toen (when — past), terwijl (while), hoewel (although), zodat (so that), tenzij (unless), voordat (before), nadat (after), zodra (as soon as). Learning these triggers is the first step.
Word order inside a subordinate clause follows the pattern: subject → other elements → verb cluster at the end. In a verb cluster, the auxiliary comes last when there are two verbs: Ik weet dat hij morgen zal komen (I know that he will come tomorrow — zal komen at the end, auxiliary last). With past participles: Ik weet dat hij gegaan is (I know that he has gone — is comes after gegaan).
Embedding subordinate clauses in main clauses: the subordinate clause counts as one element in the main clause. If it starts the sentence, inversion occurs: Omdat hij ziek was, bleef hij thuis (Because he was ill, he stayed home — bleef comes right after the comma). This combination of subordinate-clause verb-final and main-clause V2 is the key to complex Dutch sentence structure.