Coordinating conjunctions connect two clauses of equal grammatical weight without changing word order. Dutch has five main coordinating conjunctions: en (and), maar (but), of (or), want (because/for — giving a reason), and dus (so/therefore). After these conjunctions, the second clause maintains normal word order: “Ik werk hard en ik leer veel” (I work hard and I learn a lot) — subject before verb in both clauses.
The distinction between want and omdat (both meaning “because”) is important. Want is coordinating — normal word order follows: “Ik blijf thuis, want het regent”. Omdat is subordinating — the verb goes to the end: “Ik blijf thuis omdat het regent.” Both are correct and common; want sounds slightly more informal and is preferred in spoken Dutch, while omdat is more precise and preferred in writing.
Dus (so/therefore) is technically an adverb used as a connector rather than a pure conjunction, but it coordinates clauses in practice. “Het regent, dus ik neem een paraplu” (It rains, so I take an umbrella). Note that dus triggers V2 inversion if it starts the second clause after a semicolon or new sentence: “Het regent. Dus neem ik een paraplu.” Mastering these five connectors immediately expands the complexity and fluency of your Dutch output.