Breakdown of Hij komt uit de supermarkt.
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
komen
to come
uit
out of / from
de supermarkt
the supermarket
Questions & Answers about Hij komt uit de supermarkt.
Does uit mean "out of" or "from" in this sentence?
It can mean both! The preposition uit is used when exiting an enclosed space, which is why it translates to "out of" here. However, Dutch also uses uit to mean "from" when talking about places you just left or your country of origin (like Ik kom uit Nederland).
Why does the Dutch sentence use komt instead of a direct translation for "is coming"?
Dutch rarely uses an equivalent to the English "-ing" (continuous) tense for everyday actions. The simple present tense verb komt naturally translates to both "comes" and "is coming" depending on the context.