Breakdown of Zolang het regent, wachten we met het transport.
met
with
wachten
to wait
het
it
regenen
to rain
Questions & Answers about Zolang het regent, wachten we met het transport.
How does zolang affect the word order in the first part of the sentence?
Zolang is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and pushes the conjugated verb (regent) to the very end of that clause. Here, the clause is just Zolang het regent, so the verb happens to sit right next to the subject anyway.
Why does the second part start with the verb (wachten we) instead of the subject (we wachten)?
The entire first clause (Zolang het regent) takes up the first position in the main sentence. Since the main verb must always be in the second position in a Dutch sentence (the V2 rule), wachten comes immediately after the comma. This flips the subject and verb, a rule known as inversion.
Is wachten met a fixed expression in Dutch?
Yes! While it literally translates to 'wait with,' Dutch uses wachten met [something] to mean 'holding off on' or 'delaying' an action. So wachten met het transport is the natural way to say 'delaying the transport' until the rain stops.
Why does the Dutch sentence use the simple present (regent) instead of a continuous form for 'is raining'?
While Dutch does have ways to express ongoing actions (like aan het regenen zijn), the simple present tense is used much more broadly than in English. In time clauses starting with words like zolang, the simple present (regent) is the most natural way to express the ongoing English action 'is raining'.