Learn Dutch: De pan blijft op het fornuis totdat we eten. - The pan stays on the stove until we eat.

Totdat is a subordinating conjunction, which means it sends the conjugated verb to the very end of its clause. Because this specific clause only contains a subject (we) and a verb (eten), the verb goes to the end and happens to sit right next to the subject. It looks exactly like a normal main clause, but it is actually using verb-final order!

Can I just use tot instead of totdat here?

Yes, you can absolutely say tot we eten. Both mean until and both send the verb to the end of the clause. Totdat is often used to make it extra clear that a new action or clause is starting, because tot is also used as a simple preposition for time or places (like in tot morgen for until tomorrow).

Does blijft always mean stays?

Yes, the verb blijven means to stay or to remain. You use it exactly like in English to say that a person or an object (like the pan) stays in a specific place.

Why do we use het for fornuis?

Fornuis (stove) is a neuter noun in Dutch, so it takes the definite article het. There is no special ending or rule that gives this away, so it is best to memorize the word together with its article: het fornuis.