Learn Dutch: Wij bewonderen de stralende zonsondergang. - We are admiring the radiant sunset.

Wij bewonderen de stralende zonsondergang.

We are admiring the radiant sunset.

Breakdown of Wij bewonderen de stralende zonsondergang.

to shine (radiate, beam)

de zonsondergang

the sunset

Questions & Answers about Wij bewonderen de stralende zonsondergang.

Why does stralende end with an -e here?

Stralende is the present participle of the verb stralen (to shine or radiate). To make a present participle in Dutch, you add -d to the full verb, making stralend. Because it is placed right before the noun it describes, it acts like a regular adjective. Since zonsondergang is a de-word, the adjective gets the standard -e ending.

What is the purpose of the s in the middle of zonsondergang?

This is a connecting -s- (called a tussen-s) that glues two nouns together into a single compound word. It joins zon (sun) and ondergang (setting or downfall). You will frequently see this linking -s- in Dutch to make compound words flow better.

Why is there no direct translation for the English word 'are' in this sentence?

Dutch doesn't use a continuous tense exactly like English does. The simple present verb bewonderen translates naturally to both 'we admire' and 'we are admiring'. While Dutch does have an aan het continuous form, it isn't necessary here; the simple present sounds perfect.

Could I use we instead of wij in this sentence?