Questions & Answers about Had ik maar op de intercity gewacht!
Why does this sentence start with the verb Had instead of the subject Ik?
This is a verb-first exclamation used to express a strong wish or regret. By placing the verb at the very beginning of the sentence and combining it with a modal particle like maar, you create an "if only" statement.
What exactly does maar do here? Could I use another word?
In these specific verb-first sentences, maar is the crucial word that turns what looks like a yes/no question into a heartfelt wish or regret. Without it, the sentence would just mean "Had I waited for the intercity?". You could also use toch, or a combination like toch maar, to get that same "if only" feeling.
Why do we use the past perfect tense (Had ... gewacht) here?
We use the past perfect because this expresses a regret about a situation that is already over. You are wishing for a different outcome to something in the past. If you wanted to express a wish about the present or future, you would use the simple past tense, for example: Wachtte ik maar op de intercity! (If only I were waiting for the intercity!).
Why does the sentence use op instead of a word for "for"?
The Dutch verb for "to wait" is wachten, and it always takes the fixed preposition op when you are waiting for someone or something. English speakers often want to use voor, but in Dutch you literally wait "on" the train.