Dertien mensen wachten.

Dertien means thirteen.

In Dutch, numbers usually come before the noun, just like in English:

• dertien mensen = thirteen people
• drie boeken = three books
• twintig studenten = twenty students

So Dertien mensen is simply the subject of the sentence.

Because mensen is the plural form of mens.

• mens = person / human being
• mensen = people / persons

Since dertien is more than one, Dutch uses the plural noun:

• één mens = one person
• dertien mensen = thirteen people

This is similar to English, where we say one person but thirteen people.

Because the subject is plural: dertien mensen.

In the present tense, Dutch uses:

• ik wacht = I wait / am waiting
• jij wacht = you wait / are waiting
• hij/zij wacht = he/she waits / is waiting
• wij wachten = we wait / are waiting
• jullie wachten = you all wait / are waiting
• zij wachten = they wait / are waiting

Since dertien mensen is grammatically like they, the correct verb form is wachten.

Because Dutch usually does not need a separate verb like are in this kind of sentence.

English often uses the present continuous:

• They are waiting

Dutch normally uses the simple present for that same idea:

• Zij wachten

So Dertien mensen wachten can mean:

• Thirteen people wait
• Thirteen people are waiting

The exact meaning depends on context.

Yes, wachten means to wait.

A very common pattern is:

• wachten op = to wait for

Examples:

• Ik wacht. = I’m waiting.
• Ik wacht op de bus. = I’m waiting for the bus.
• We wachten op hem. = We’re waiting for him.

In your sentence, there is no op + object, so it just means that the people are waiting.

Because with a number, Dutch usually does not use an article before the noun.

So you say:

• dertien mensen
• vijf kinderen
• twee auto’s

Not:

• de dertien mensen unless you specifically mean the thirteen people
• een dertien mensen is incorrect

So the sentence is neutral and simply states that thirteen people are waiting.

Yes. This is a very normal Dutch main-clause word order:

• Dertien mensen = subject
• wachten = verb

So the structure is:

Subject + verb

This is the basic pattern in simple Dutch statements.

For example:

• De kinderen spelen. = The children are playing.
• Twee mannen praten. = Two men are talking.
• Dertien mensen wachten. = Thirteen people are waiting.

A simple learner-friendly guide:

• dertien ≈ DAIR-teen
• mensen ≈ MEN-suh
• wachten ≈ WAKH-tuh(n)

A few notes:

• The ch in wachten is the rough Dutch sound also heard in Scottish loch or German Bach.
• The -en ending in verbs is often pronounced lightly, sometimes with a very soft final n or almost no n in everyday speech.

So a rough full pronunciation is:

DAIR-teen MEN-suh WAKH-tuh(n)

Yes, but in normal English translation, people is the most natural choice.

Dutch mensen usually corresponds to people in everyday language.
You may also see personen, but that sounds more formal or official in many contexts.

So here:

• Dertien mensen wachten = Thirteen people are waiting

That is the most natural translation.

Yes, it is completely natural.

It is a short, simple statement that could be used in many situations, for example:

• at a bus stop
• in a queue
• outside a building
• in a report or description

If more detail is needed, Dutch would often add extra information, such as:

• Dertien mensen wachten op de bus. = Thirteen people are waiting for the bus.
• Dertien mensen wachten buiten. = Thirteen people are waiting outside.

But the sentence by itself is perfectly correct and natural.