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Questions & Answers about De trein staat op het perron.
Why is the verb staan used instead of zijn in De trein staat op het perron?
In Dutch, staan (to stand) is used to describe the position of vehicles (or people) that are stationary. This sentence literally means The train stands on the platform, but in English we simply say The train is at the platform. Using zijn here would sound unnatural.
What is the literal translation of De trein staat op het perron?
Word‐by‐word:
- De = The
- trein = train
- staat = stands/is placed
- op = on/at
- het = the
- perron = platform
So literally it’s The train stands on the platform, which we render in English as The train is at the platform.
Why is it het perron and not de perron?
Dutch nouns are either de-words or het-words. Perron belongs to the het-class, so its singular article is het. In the plural you say de perrons.
Why is the preposition op used here? Could we use in or aan instead?
- op is for something on a surface or platform (a train “stands on” a platform).
- in implies inside something (e.g. in de trein = inside the train).
- aan implies alongside or attached to a vertical surface (e.g. aan de muur = on the wall).
Thus op het perron is the correct choice.
Can I say De trein is op het perron instead?
You would be understood, but native speakers almost always use staan for a stationary train. De trein is op het perron sounds less idiomatic.
How do you pronounce perron?
In the Netherlands it’s pronounced [pə‑ˈrɔn], with stress on the second syllable. The double r is rolled or guttural depending on your Dutch accent.
What’s the difference between perron and station?
- Station = the entire railway complex (buildings, tracks, ticket hall, platforms).
- Perron = a specific platform where passengers board and alight from the train.