Questions & Answers about Ik wacht niet op hem.
Why is niet placed right after wacht instead of before it like in English 'do not wait'?
In Dutch, you do not use a helper word like 'do' to make a negative sentence. Instead, the word niet (not) simply comes after the conjugated verb. So, 'I do not wait' becomes Ik wacht niet.
Why does niet come before op hem? Does it not usually go at the end of the sentence?
niet has specific rules for where it sits. While it often goes at the very end of a simple sentence, it must come before prepositional phrases (phrases starting with connecting words like on, in, at, for). Since op hem starts with the preposition op, niet must go right before it.
Does op mean 'for' here? I thought it meant 'on'.
You are right that op usually translates to 'on'. However, verbs often pair with specific prepositions that do not match English word-for-word. In Dutch, you do not wait 'for' someone, you wait 'on' someone. The fixed phrase is always wachten op.
Why does wacht translate to 'am waiting'? Is there no word for 'am' in this sentence?
Dutch does not use an 'am doing' structure like English does to show that an action is happening right now. The single present-tense verb wacht naturally covers both 'I wait' and 'I am waiting'.
Learn Ik wacht niet op hem 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