De fiets staat naast de schuur.

The bike is next to the shed.

Breakdown of De fiets staat naast de schuur.

• staan: to stand
• naast: next to
• de schuur: the shed
• de fiets: the bike

Questions & Answers about De fiets staat naast de schuur.

Why is the verb staat used here instead of a form of zijn (to be)?

In Dutch, verbs like staan, liggen, zitten, and hangen are often used to indicate the position of an object or person. Staat literally means “stands,” but it also conveys the object is upright and in a certain location—next to the shed in this case.

Is there a reason for using the definite article de before fiets?

Yes. Fiets is a common noun in Dutch, and it’s a singular, de-word (masculine/feminine). Therefore, you use the definite article de (“the”) rather than het. For a singular bike in Dutch, you always say de fiets.

Why does the sentence use naast instead of bij?

Both naast and bij can indicate proximity, but naast specifically means “next to” or “beside”, highlighting direct adjacency. Bij is more general and can just mean “near” or “by,” without necessarily implying they are side by side.

How can I tell that schuur is also a de-word?

You generally learn the gender of nouns by practice and memorization. Schuur is a de-word (feminine or masculine). There’s no foolproof rule for every case, so you typically pick it up by exposure and usage—here, you see de schuur used in the sentence.