Breakdown of De man zit in de skilift te wachten op de afdaling.
de man
the man
in
in
zitten
to sit
op
on
wachten
to wait
te
to (infinitive marker)
de skilift
the ski lift
de afdaling
the descent
wachten op
to wait for
Questions & Answers about De man zit in de skilift te wachten op de afdaling.
Why is it zit te wachten instead of is aan het wachten?
Both express an ongoing action (the English "-ing" form). Dutch frequently uses position verbs like zitten, staan, liggen, or lopen followed by te + an infinitive when the subject is physically in that position. Because the man is literally sitting in the ski lift, zit te wachten is the most natural way to say he is currently waiting.
Why does in de skilift come between zit and te wachten?
This is standard Dutch word order. In a main clause, the conjugated verb (zit) takes the second position, while the rest of the verbs (te wachten) are sent to the end of the clause. Any additional context, like the location (in de skilift), is placed in the middle field between them.
Why is it wachten op instead of wachten voor to say "waiting for"?
In Dutch, the fixed combination for "waiting for" someone or something is wachten op. Using voor is a common trap for English speakers; wachten voor actually means you are physically waiting in front of something, like a door or a traffic light.
Where does the noun afdaling come from?
It comes from the verb dalen, which means to go down or to descend. Adding the prefix af- emphasizes the downward motion, and the -ing ending turns the verb into a noun, creating afdaling (the descent).
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