Learn Hardcore Dutch: Hij zit in de auto en doet de gordel om. - He sits in the car and fastens his seat belt.

In Dutch, to express that someone is sitting inside a vehicle, you normally use the verb zitten (“to sit”) rather than zijn (“to be”). So Hij zit in de auto literally means “He sits in the car,” but idiomatically it’s just “He’s in the car.” You could say Hij is in de auto, but zitten is more specific and very commonly used for sitting in cars, buses, etc.

Why does auto take the article de?

Dutch nouns belong to two main word classes: de-woorden and het-woorden. Auto is a de-woord, so it must be preceded by de in singular (de auto). This is a grammatical gender property that you generally learn with each noun.

What does doet de gordel om mean and how does it translate into English?

The expression uses the separable verb omdoen (prefix om- + verb doen, “to do”). In this sentence it splits:

doet = “does/puts on” (3rd person singular of doen)
de gordel = “the belt” (here “the seatbelt”)
om = the separated prefix

Altogether doet de gordel om means “fastens (puts on) the seatbelt.”

Why does the prefix om appear at the end of the clause instead of directly before doet?

In Dutch main clauses, separable verbs split: the prefix moves to the end, and the conjugated verb (doet) stays in second position. In subordinate clauses or non‑finite forms, you keep it together (e.g. omdoen, omdeed).

Why is hij omitted in the second part en doet de gordel om?

When two coordinate clauses share the same subject, Dutch often omits the second occurrence:

Hij zit in de auto
(Hij) doet de gordel om

It’s perfectly fine. If you want to repeat the subject for emphasis, you can say en hij doet de gordel om.

Are there alternative ways to say fastens the seatbelt in Dutch?

Yes. You can also say:
• Hij maakt de gordel vast (literally “he makes the belt fast”)
• Hij doet de veiligheidsgordel om (using the fuller term veiligheidsgordel)
Both are common and correct.

Why do we simply say gordel here instead of autogordel or veiligheidsgordel?

Context gives you enough information. Gordel alone commonly refers to a seatbelt when you’re talking about cars. If you need to be more specific or formal, you can use veiligheidsgordel (“safety belt”) or autogordel.

How would omdoen change in past tense or in a subordinate clause?

• Past tense, main clause: Hij deed de gordel om.
• Subordinate clause: Hij zei dat hij de gordel omdeed.

In both cases, the prefix om attaches to deed/deed to form omdeed, which appears as one word at the end of the clause.