Word
De conducteur loopt nu rustig naar de roltrap.
Meaning
The conductor is walking quietly to the escalator now.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of De conducteur loopt nu rustig naar de roltrap.
nu
now
lopen
to walk
naar
to
rustig
quiet (calm, peaceful)
Questions & Answers about De conducteur loopt nu rustig naar de roltrap.
Why is the word order nu rustig naar de roltrap?
In Dutch, adverbs and prepositional phrases usually follow the Time, Manner, Place (TMP) rule. First we have time (nu), then manner (rustig), and finally place (naar de roltrap). English often puts the time at the very end, but Dutch prefers it early in the sentence.
Can I emphasize nu by putting it at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, you can say Nu loopt de conducteur rustig naar de roltrap. Because Dutch uses Verb Second word order, putting nu in the first position forces the subject (de conducteur) to move to the other side of the verb (loopt). The remaining words still follow the Manner before Place order!
Does rustig mean quietly or calmly?
It can mean both. It comes from the noun rust (rest or peace). In this context, it describes the conductor walking without rushing, so calmly, peacefully, or quietly are all good English translations.
How can I easily remember the word roltrap?
Dutch builds a lot of its vocabulary by sticking simple words together. Roltrap is a combination of rollen (to roll) and trap (staircase). It is literally a rolling stair!