Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "omdat" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce omdat in Dutch?

omdat is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ɔmˈdɑt/. It means “because.” om-DAHT — stress on the second syllable, with an open back "ah" and a quiet t.

om-DAHT — stress on the second syllable, with an open back "ah" and a quiet t.

omdat /ɔmˈdɑt/

The beat lands on the second element, om-DAT, following the same pattern as "waarom" and "daarom" — in these fused preposition compounds the second half wins. That end-stress also gives the word a forward lean, pushing the listener into the clause it introduces.

Listen: omdat

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Sound it out

om- Short rounded o plus m, unstressed and quick. This is the preposition "om" forming the first half of the compound.

d Voiced and unaspirated, opening the stressed syllable.

a Short and open, made at the back of the mouth and carrying the primary beat despite its brevity.

t A quiet final stop released without any puff of air.

Hear it in a sentence

Ik blijf thuis omdat het regent.

I'm staying home because it's raining.

Listen: Ik blijf thuis omdat het regent.

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"Ik blijf thuis omdat het regent" is a textbook subordinate clause: once "omdat" appears, the verb "regent" is exiled to the very end. That is the single most important consequence of using this word, and it is what distinguishes it from "want," which keeps normal order.

Where English speakers slip

Front-stressing gives "OM-dat," which sounds like two separate words. The grammatical error is the costly one: learners use "omdat" but keep English word order, producing "omdat het regent buiten" style sentences with the verb in the wrong place. The verb must go last, no exceptions.