Breakdown of Starend naar de muis wacht de kat.
de kat
the cat
naar
to
wachten
to wait
de muis
the mouse
staren
to stare
Questions & Answers about Starend naar de muis wacht de kat.
How do we form the word starend?
It is made by taking the whole infinitive verb staren (to stare) and adding a -d at the end. This forms the present participle, which translates to 'staring' in English.
Why doesn't starend get an -e at the end in this sentence?
Because it is used here as an adverb describing how the cat waits. You would only add an -e if it were an adjective placed directly in front of a noun, like in de starende kat (the staring cat).
Why do we use naar to mean 'at' in this sentence?
The verb staren (to stare) forms a fixed combination with the preposition naar. Just like kijken naar (to look at), you almost always use naar to indicate what you are staring at.
Why is the word order wacht de kat and not de kat wacht?
This is because of inversion. The sentence starts with the phrase Starend naar de muis. In Dutch, when you start a sentence with something other than the subject, the verb comes next in the second position, and the subject is pushed directly behind it.
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