De gastouder biedt dagopvang aan.

Gastouder is a common Dutch word for a childminder or home-based childcare provider. It literally looks like guest parent, but in real usage it means someone who looks after children, often in a home setting rather than in a large daycare center.

It can refer to a woman or a man, although in practice it is often used for women.

It is de gastouder because nouns referring to people are normally de-words in Dutch.

Also, gastouder is a compound noun:

• gast = guest
• ouder = parent

In Dutch compounds, the last part usually determines the grammatical gender/article. Since ouder is a de-word, gastouder is also a de-word.

Because the subject is de gastouder, which is third person singular: he/she/the childminder.

The infinitive is bieden. Its present tense forms are:

• ik bied
• jij biedt
• u biedt
• hij/zij/het biedt
• wij/jullie/zij bieden

So in this sentence, de gastouder biedt is the correct form.

This is a very common Dutch spelling question.

The verb is bieden.
Its stem is bied.
For hij/zij/het in the present tense, Dutch adds -t:

• bied
  • t = biedt

So the dt spelling is grammatical: the stem already ends in d, and then the ending -t is added.

A tricky point is that in pronunciation, bied and biedt often sound the same or very similar, because final d is not strongly voiced in Dutch. But the spelling still keeps the grammar visible.

Because the full verb is aanbieden, which is a separable verb.

In a normal main clause, Dutch usually splits separable verbs:

• the conjugated part goes near the front
• the prefix goes to the end

So:

• infinitive: aanbieden
• main clause: biedt ... aan

That is why you get:

De gastouder biedt dagopvang aan.

This sentence follows standard Dutch main clause word order:

• De gastouder = subject
• biedt = finite verb
• dagopvang = object
• aan = separable prefix

So the pattern is:

Subject + finite verb + object + separable prefix

This is very typical Dutch.

Because Dutch forms compound nouns by writing them as one word much more often than English does.

So:

• dag = day
• opvang = care / childcare / reception

Together:

• dagopvang = daycare / daytime childcare

English often uses separate words where Dutch prefers a compound.

Here, dagopvang is being used in a general/service sense, not as a specific countable object.

So the sentence means that the childminder offers daycare as a service. In that kind of usage, Dutch often leaves out the article.

Compare the idea in English:

• She offers daycare.

You would not necessarily say:

• She offers a daycare.

If you were talking about a specific daycare arrangement or a daycare center, the wording could change.

Yes, depending on context, dagopvang can refer to:

• the service of daytime childcare
• sometimes the facility/place where care is provided

In this sentence, it most naturally means the service being offered.

In a subordinate clause, Dutch usually does not split the separable verb in the same way. The full verb idea comes together at the end:

• main clause: De gastouder biedt dagopvang aan.
• subordinate clause: ... dat de gastouder dagopvang aanbiedt.

So in a subordinate clause, you usually see aanbiedt as one written unit at the end.

You can understand the parts that way, but you normally should not translate it literally in natural English.

A better translation is:

• childminder
• daycare provider
• home-based childcare provider

Literal translation helps you recognize the word, but not necessarily how to say it naturally in English.