Learn Hardcore Dutch: Het licht valt door het raam en maakt een mooie schaduw op de muur. - The light falls through the window and creates a nice shadow on the wall.

In Dutch, licht (light) is a neuter noun (het-woord). Neuter nouns always take het in the singular when definite. You can’t say de licht because de marks common gender (de-woord).

What does valt mean in het licht valt door het raam? Doesn’t vallen mean “to fall”?

Literally vallen is “to fall,” but in this context het licht valt door het raam means “the light falls through the window,” i.e. “passes through” or “streams through.” It’s a figurative use, similar to English “light falls on something.”

Why is the preposition door used here, instead of something like doorheen?

door indicates movement through or passage: light passes through the window.

doorheen also means “through,” but is more colloquial or emphasizes full traversal.
For natural phenomena (sunlight, wind) you usually say door het raam.

Why is there no subject before maakt in the second clause?

The sentence has two main clauses joined by en. In the second clause the subject is omitted because it’s the same as in the first clause (het licht). This is called subject ellipsis. The verb maakt still agrees in third person singular.

Why is it een mooie schaduw instead of mooi schaduw or een mooi schaduw?

Adjectives before a noun take an -e ending when:

The noun is definite (de/het) or after an indefinite article (een).
The noun is singular or plural.
Here schaduw is a common-gender noun (de-woord), singular, with the indefinite article een, so mooie gets -e: een mooie schaduw.

Why do we say op de muur (“on the wall”) and not aan de muur?

op de muur: “on the surface of the wall.”
aan de muur: typically “attached to” or “against” the wall (like a picture hanging).
A shadow lies flat on the surface, so op is appropriate.

The verbs valt and maakt are both in the present tense. Why doesn’t the second verb go to the end?

Each clause is a main clause, and in Dutch main clauses follow the Verb Second (V2) rule:

One element in front (subject or other);
The finite verb comes second;
The remaining elements follow.
Since the second clause also has its verb second (after the implied subject), it stays in place.

Can we start the sentence with Door het raam valt het licht? What changes?

Yes. Dutch allows inversion when you place an adverbial (here door het raam) first:

You put the verb second (valt),
Then the subject (het licht).
It shifts emphasis onto the window or the light coming through it, but the meaning stays the same.

Could we use schijnt instead of valt? What’s the difference?

Yes. schijnen (“to shine”) is often used for sunlight: Het licht schijnt door het raam.
Difference in nuance:

valt (falls) highlights the path and resulting effect (the shadow);
schijnt (shines) focuses on the act of shining or brightness. Both are correct here.