Breakdown of De kat ligt naar de duif te kijken.
de kat
the cat
naar
to
kijken
to watch
liggen
to lie
te
to (infinitive marker)
de duif
the pigeon
Questions & Answers about De kat ligt naar de duif te kijken.
Why do we use ligt instead of just translating 'is looking'?
Dutch uses posture verbs like liggen (to lie) + te + an infinitive (kijken) to show that an action is currently happening. It literally means 'lies to look' but translates naturally as 'is looking (while lying down)'.
Why are the words naar de duif trapped between ligt and te kijken?
The conjugated posture verb (ligt) takes the normal second position in the sentence. The te + infinitive part (te kijken) is pushed all the way to the end. The object being looked at (naar de duif) has to go in the middle.
Why is the preposition naar used here for 'at'?
In Dutch, the verb for 'to look' (kijken) is followed by naar when you are looking at something. So 'looking at the pigeon' translates to naar de duif kijken.
Can I use a different posture verb if the cat isn't lying down?
Yes! If the cat is sitting, you would say De kat zit naar de duif te kijken. You simply match the posture verb (zitten, staan, liggen, or lopen) to the physical position of the subject.
Learn De kat ligt naar de duif te kijken and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free