Knowing words is one thing; stringing them into a story, “first I did this, then that happened”, is another. Dutch has a tidy set of sequencing words for exactly this, plus one trap (toen vs als) worth learning early.
The sequencing words
These turn a pile of facts into a narrative:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| eerst | first |
| dan / daarna | then / after that |
| vervolgens | next |
| ondertussen / intussen | meanwhile |
| daarom | that’s why |
| ten slotte / uiteindelijk | finally / in the end |
A simple story: Eerst ging ik naar de winkel, daarna kookte ik, en ten slotte keek ik tv. (First I went to the shop, then I cooked, and finally I watched TV.) As Dutch grammar references note, these connectors are what make speech flow instead of stutter.
The verb jumps: inversion
When a sequencing word starts the sentence, the verb comes right after it, before the subject (inversion):
- Daarna ging ik naar huis. (Then I went home.)
- Eerst maken we koffie. (First we make coffee.)
Not Daarna ik ging. This is the standard Dutch rule that the verb sits in second position whenever something other than the subject opens the sentence, the backbone of word order.
The trap: toen vs als
Both can mean “when”, but they are not interchangeable, and this is one of the most common learner errors. Onze Taal and the Taalunie advice service sum it up:
| Word | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| toen | a single, completed past event | Toen ik aankwam, regende het. |
| als | repeated, habitual, or future | Als ik thuiskom, eet ik. |
So one past moment takes toen (when I arrived); anything that repeats or is yet to come takes als (when(ever) I get home). Note toen is also a subordinating conjunction, sending the verb to the end in its clause: Toen ik klein was….
Pair it with the past tense
Storytelling usually means the past, so sequencing words team up with the perfect tense and the simple past:
- Eerst heb ik boodschappen gedaan, toen ben ik naar huis gegaan. (First I did the shopping, then I went home.)
In flowing narration you will also hear the simple past (ging, was, kwam), especially with toen.
Filler that buys time
Real storytelling also uses little fillers to keep the floor while you think: nou (well), dus (so), weet je (you know), and eh. These are the spoken cousins of the flavour words, and they make you sound natural rather than rehearsed.
Where it connects
Sequencing supports giving your opinion with reasons, builds on the perfect tense and conjunctions, and helps you keep a conversation going.
The bottom line
To tell a story, chain events with eerst, daarna, vervolgens, ondertussen and ten slotte, and remember the verb jumps to second place after them (Daarna ging ik…). Use toen for a single past event and als for repeated or future ones. Combine these with the perfect tense and a few fillers, and you can recount your day or explain a process in flowing Dutch.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that drills the sequencing words that turn facts into a story, eerst, toen, daarna, ten slotte, plus the toen-vs-als trap, in five-minute lessons, so you can tell what happened in clear, flowing Dutch.
Frequently asked questions
What words do you use to sequence a story in Dutch?
The core sequencing words are eerst (first), dan or daarna (then / after that), vervolgens (next), ondertussen (meanwhile), and ten slotte or uiteindelijk (finally). For past narration, toen (then / at that time) is very common. So you might say Eerst ging ik naar de winkel, daarna kookte ik, en ten slotte keek ik tv. These connectors turn a list of facts into a flowing story.
What is the difference between ‘toen’ and ‘als’ in Dutch?
Both can translate as ‘when’, but they are not interchangeable. Toen is for a single, completed event in the past: Toen ik aankwam, regende het (when I arrived, it was raining). Als is for repeated, habitual, or future situations: Als ik thuiskom, eet ik (when(ever) I get home, I eat). A rule of thumb: one past event takes toen; anything repeated or in the future takes als. Mixing them up is a classic learner error.
Does the verb move after sequencing words like ‘toen’ and ‘daarna’?
Yes, when they start a sentence. Words like toen, daarna, eerst and vervolgens trigger inversion: the verb comes right after them, before the subject. So Daarna ging ik naar huis (then I went home), not Daarna ik ging. This is the same second-position verb rule that governs Dutch word order whenever something other than the subject opens the sentence.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for telling stories and explaining things?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it drills the sequencing words that turn facts into a story, eerst, toen, daarna, ten slotte, plus the toen-vs-als trap, in five-minute real-situation lessons, so you can recount your day or explain a process in clear, flowing Dutch.
