Breakdown of De brandende zon schijnt op de bergen.
op
on
de berg
the mountain
de zon
the sun
schijnen
to shine
branden
to burn (be on fire)
Questions & Answers about De brandende zon schijnt op de bergen.
How do we form the word brandende from the verb branden (to burn)?
To make a present participle (an action word used as an adjective, like "burning"), you take the full infinitive verb branden and add a -d to get brandend.
Why is there an extra -e at the end of brandende?
Because it's being used as an adjective placed directly in front of the noun zon. Since zon is a de-word, adjectives in front of it get an -e added to the end. That turns brandend into brandende.
Why doesn't the Dutch sentence translate "is shining" literally?
English uses "is [verb]-ing" a lot, but Dutch usually just uses the simple present tense. While you could use the Dutch continuous form is aan het schijnen, the simple verb schijnt is perfectly natural for saying "is shining".
What preposition do we use with schijnen?
When something shines on a surface, Dutch uses op, just like in English. So we say schijnt op de bergen (shines on the mountains).
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