Breakdown of Ze hebben uren op de beroemdheid staan wachten.
hebben
to have
op
on
wachten
to wait
staan
to stand
het uur
hour / o'clock
ze
they; she (unstressed form of zij) / them (object)
de beroemdheid
the celebrity
Questions & Answers about Ze hebben uren op de beroemdheid staan wachten.
Why does this sentence use staan instead of the past participle gestaan?
Because of the double infinitive rule (often called IPP). When a posture verb like staan (to stand) is used to describe an ongoing action with another verb (wachten) in the perfect tense, it does not change into a past participle. Instead of the incorrect hebben... gestaan wachten, Dutch uses two bare infinitives: hebben... staan wachten.
What is the exact word order for the two infinitives at the end of the sentence?
The posture verb (staan) must come directly before the main action verb (wachten). Together, this double infinitive block gets pushed to the very end of the sentence, after other details like the time (uren) and the object (op de beroemdheid).
Why do we use the preposition op here instead of voor to mean "for"?
Because the verb wachten (to wait) requires a fixed preposition, and in Dutch, that preposition is op. While English says "to wait for someone", Dutch always says wachten op iemand.
Do I have to include staan, or could I just say "Ze hebben uren op de beroemdheid gewacht"?
You can definitely just say Ze hebben uren op de beroemdheid gewacht (They have waited for the celebrity for hours). However, Dutch speakers frequently add posture verbs like staan (to stand), zitten (to sit), or liggen (to lie) to describe exactly how an action was happening. Using staan wachten paints a much more vivid picture: they were literally on their feet waiting.
Learn Ze hebben uren op de beroemdheid staan wachten and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free