Zij gebruikt de ovenwant tijdens het koken.

She uses the oven mitt while cooking.

Breakdown of Zij gebruikt de ovenwant tijdens het koken.

• zij: she
• koken: to cook
• tijdens: during
• de ovenwant: the oven mitt
• gebruiken: to use

Questions & Answers about Zij gebruikt de ovenwant tijdens het koken.

Why do we sometimes see Zij and sometimes Ze for "she"?

In Dutch, Zij and Ze both mean "she," but Zij can be used for emphasis. You might see Ze more casually in everyday conversation. For instance:
• Zij doet het (She really does it).
• Ze doet het (She does it).

Is Zij ever used for "they"?

Yes. In Dutch, Zij can also mean "they," but the difference is understood from context or from the verb ending. For example:
• Zij gebruiken de ovenwant (They use the oven mitt).
• Zij gebruikt de ovenwant (She uses the oven mitt).

Why do we say de ovenwant instead of een ovenwant?

By using de ovenwant, we imply it's a specific or already-known mitt. Saying een ovenwant suggests it could be any oven mitt. In English, this is like saying the oven mitt versus an oven mitt.

What does tijdens het koken literally mean, and can I use another phrase?

It literally means during the cooking. A common alternative is tijdens het bereiden van het eten (during the preparation of the meal). Another more colloquial approach might be terwijl ze aan het koken is (while she is cooking), using terwijl (while) instead of tijdens (during).

Why is there a het before koken in tijdens het koken?

In Dutch, koken (cooking) can be turned into a noun-like phrase by adding het, making it "the act of cooking." This structure is common when describing activities or events. If you said tijdens koken, it would sound incomplete or less natural in standard Dutch.