Questions & Answers about Het ontbijt staat klaar.
Why does this sentence use staat instead of is?
English says "Breakfast is ready", but Dutch often uses posture verbs (standing, sitting, lying) to describe how things are placed. Because breakfast involves items set out on a table, Dutch uses staan (to stand). You can say Het ontbijt is klaar, but staat klaar is very natural for a meal that is set up and waiting for you.
Is klaarstaan a separable verb here?
Yes! Klaarstaan is a separable verb meaning "to be ready" or "to be waiting". In a main clause like this, the verb splits: the conjugated part (staat) takes the second position in the sentence, and the separable prefix (klaar) goes to the very end.
How would I add 's morgens (in the morning) to this sentence to match the current lesson?
In Dutch, time expressions usually go right after the conjugated verb. You would say: Het ontbijt staat 's morgens klaar. Notice how the time word comes before the separable prefix (klaar), which must stay at the very end of the sentence.
What are the other main meals if I want to talk about 's middags (in the afternoon) and 's avonds (in the evening)?
For your afternoon routine, you would say de lunch (the lunch). For your evening routine, you would say het avondeten (dinner, literally "the evening food").
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