Breakdown of Wij wachten al anderhalf uur op de drummer!
wij
we
op
on
wachten
to wait
het uur
hour / o'clock
al
already
anderhalf
one and a half
de drummer
the drummer
Questions & Answers about Wij wachten al anderhalf uur op de drummer!
Why is uur singular when the English translation says "hours"?
In Dutch, the quantifier anderhalf (one and a half) always takes a singular noun. This is different from English, where we use the plural "hours". So you will always see anderhalf uur instead of anderhalf uren.
Why is it anderhalf here and not anderhalve?
The ending depends on whether the noun is a de-word or a het-word. Because uur is a het-word (het uur), we use the basic form anderhalf. If we were talking about a de-word like maand (month), it would be anderhalve maand.
The sentence uses the present tense Wij wachten, but the translation says "We have been waiting". Why?
In Dutch, if an action started in the past and is still continuing right now, you use the present tense. The word al (already) emphasizes that the waiting is ongoing. English requires the present perfect continuous ("have been waiting") for this, but Dutch simply uses the present tense.
Why does the sentence use op instead of voor to say we are waiting "for" the drummer?
Prepositions rarely translate word-for-word. In Dutch, the verb wachten (to wait) is fixed to the preposition op. Whenever you "wait for" someone or something, you must use the combination wachten op.
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