Breakdown of Is het speeltoestel al klaar, of wordt er nog op gewacht?
zijn
to be
klaar
ready
op
on
wachten
to wait
Questions & Answers about Is het speeltoestel al klaar, of wordt er nog op gewacht?
How does the subjectless passive work in "wordt er nog op gewacht"?
The active verb phrase here is wachten op (to wait for). When you make this passive, there is no direct object to turn into a subject. Instead, Dutch uses an impersonal passive with er acting as a dummy subject. It combines with the preposition op and the past participle gewacht, literally translating to "is there still for waited?"
Why can't I use het and say "of wordt het nog op gewacht"?
In Dutch, you cannot use het (it) directly after a preposition when referring to an object or thing. You must change "op het" to the pronominal adverb erop. In this passive sentence, er does double duty: it acts as the dummy subject of the sentence, and it pairs with op to mean "for it" (referring back to the speeltoestel).
Why are er and op separated by nog?
While they form the word erop (for it), pronominal adverbs are very frequently split in Dutch sentences. Adverbs of time, like nog (still), generally sit right in the middle between the two parts, giving us er nog op.
What exactly is a speeltoestel?
It is a singular noun combining spelen (to play) and toestel (apparatus, device). It is the standard Dutch term for a piece of playground equipment, such as a jungle gym, climbing frame, or swing set.