Wij wachten bij de deur tot de vrienden komen.

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Breakdown of Wij wachten bij de deur tot de vrienden komen.

• de deur: the door
• de vriend: the friend
• komen: to come
• bij: at
• wachten: to wait
• tot: until

Questions & Answers about Wij wachten bij de deur tot de vrienden komen.

What does wachten mean in this sentence?

Wachten means “to wait.” In this sentence, it indicates that the speakers are in the act of waiting.

What is the function of the phrase bij de deur?

Bij de deur translates as “at the door.” It specifies the location where the waiting is taking place.

What role does tot play in the sentence, and how does it affect the structure?

Tot functions as a conjunction meaning “until.” It introduces a subordinate clause (de vrienden komen) that sets a time limit for the waiting. Because it creates a subordinate clause, the Dutch word order rule applies—placing the conjugated verb at the end.

Why is the verb komen placed at the end of the clause tot de vrienden komen?

In Dutch, subordinate clauses are structured so that the finite (conjugated) verb appears at the end. Here, komen (meaning “come”) is moved to the end of the subordinate clause introduced by tot.

Why are both deur and vrienden preceded by the definite article de?

Dutch nouns come with a definite article that agrees with their grammatical gender. Both deur (door) and vrienden (friends) are common gender nouns, so they take de as their definite article.