De kat ligt daar in de tuin.

The cat is lying there in the garden.

Breakdown of De kat ligt daar in de tuin.

• de kat: the cat
• in: in
• liggen: to lie
• de tuin: the garden
• daar: there

Questions & Answers about De kat ligt daar in de tuin.

Why is ligt used here instead of something like zit or staat?

In Dutch, ligt typically indicates that someone or something is lying or resting in a horizontal position. Although English speakers often simply say that the cat "is" somewhere, Dutch prefers different verbs depending on position or posture:
• zitten is used for sitting (usually upright).
• staan is used for standing (on feet or placed upright).
• liggen is used for lying down (or something placed in a horizontal position).

Because a cat usually rests in a lying position, ligt is the natural verb to choose.

Can we say De kat is daar in de tuin instead of De kat ligt daar in de tuin?

It’s possible and it would still be understood, but it sounds more general. Using ligt is more idiomatic in Dutch when describing a cat at rest. If you say is, you're leaving out the nuance of it lying down specifically.

What does daar mean in this sentence?

Daar means "there" in Dutch, indicating a location that is away from the speaker (or at least not right with the speaker).

Why do we use de instead of een?

De is the definite article in Dutch and is used here because you’re talking about a specific cat. If you wanted to refer to an unspecified cat, you would use een (meaning "a" cat).

Is in de tuin a fixed phrase or can it change?

In de tuin translates to "in the garden" and is not a fixed phrase. You can change the preposition or the noun depending on the context. For example, in het huis ("in the house") or op het gras ("on the grass"). The structure in + definite article + noun is common in Dutch to indicate location.