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Questions & Answers about Zij kijken elke avond naar de film.
Why is the verb kijken instead of kijkt?
Because the subject is plural! In Dutch, plural subjects like zij (they), wij (we), and jullie (you all) use the full infinitive (dictionary) form of the verb. So we use kijken instead of the singular form kijkt.
How do I know zij means "they" and not "she" in this sentence?
The verb tells you! If zij meant "she" (singular), the verb would be kijkt. Because the verb is the plural form kijken, we know zij must mean "they".
Why is there a naar in this sentence? The English translation just says "watch the film".
In Dutch, the verb kijken literally means "to look". When you are watching a movie, TV, or looking at something, you must use kijken naar (to look at). You cannot just say kijken de film.
Why does elke avond come before the film?
Dutch is very strict about putting time expressions early in the sentence. In a standard sentence, time words like elke avond (every evening) come right after the main verb, before the object you are watching (naar de film).