Word
Het stationsplein is rustig, mits de trein niet rijdt.
Meaning
The station square is quiet, provided that the train is not running.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Het stationsplein is rustig, mits de trein niet rijdt.
zijn
to be
niet
not
de trein
the train
het
it
Questions & Answers about Het stationsplein is rustig, mits de trein niet rijdt.
Why is there an s in the middle of stationsplein?
Stationsplein is a compound noun made of station and plein. The s in the middle is a linking letter called a tussen-s. Since the first word does not end in an s-sound and the second word does not start with one, you write the s because you can clearly hear it when pronouncing the combined word.
What does mits mean here?
Mits is a conjunction that means provided that or on the condition that. It is an important B1 word to learn. Be careful not to confuse it with tenzij, which means unless!
Why is the verb rijdt pushed to the end of the sentence?
The word mits is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause, which forces the conjugated verb (rijdt) to move all the way to the end of that clause.
Why does the Dutch sentence use rijdt when the English translation says the train is running?
In English, we say a train is running to mean it is operating. In Dutch, vehicles like trains, trams, and buses use the verb rijden (to drive or ride). You cannot use lopen (to walk or run) for a functioning vehicle.