Wij zitten op de tribune tijdens de sportwedstrijd.

We sit in the stands during the sports match.

Breakdown of Wij zitten op de tribune tijdens de sportwedstrijd.

• wij: we
• tijdens: during
• zitten: to sit
• op: on
• de sportwedstrijd: the sports match
• de tribune: the stand

Questions & Answers about Wij zitten op de tribune tijdens de sportwedstrijd.

Why does the sentence use wij instead of we, and are they interchangeable?

In Dutch both wij and we can mean “we,” but:

• wij is the full form and often used for emphasis or clarity.
• we is the reduced form used in everyday speech.
  They are interchangeable in meaning; choosing wij simply makes the subject more prominent.

What’s the function of zitten in wij zitten op de tribune? Why not another verb like staan or zitten elsewhere?

zitten means “to sit.” Here it describes your posture on the stands. Other verbs would change the meaning:

• staan op de tribune = “we stand in the stands” (implies you’re standing, not seated)
• staan op het veld = “we stand on the field” (completely different location)
  So zitten is the correct choice for sitting in the stands.

Why is the preposition op used in op de tribune? In English we say “in the stands.”

Dutch often uses op (“on”) for locations that are perceived as a surface or platform. A “tribune” (stands) is conceived as a raised platform, so you sit op de tribune even though in English we use “in” the stands.

Why is sportwedstrijd written as one word instead of two?

Dutch frequently combines nouns into compounds. sportwedstrijd = sport + wedstrijd (“competition” or “match”). Writing them as one word is standard:

• sportwedstrijd = sports match
• voetbalwedstrijd = football match

What does tijdens mean, and could you use gedurende instead?

• tijdens = “during”
• gedurende = “for the duration of” or “during as well”
  Both are correct, but tijdens is more common in spoken and written Dutch. gedurende sounds a bit more formal or literary.

Why is tijdens de sportwedstrijd placed at the end of the sentence?

In Dutch main clauses, time and place elements (like tijdens de sportwedstrijd) typically come after the verb-object cluster if the subject comes first. The order is:

1. Subject (Wij)
2. Verb (zitten)
3. Prepositional phrase of place (op de tribune)
4. Adverbial of time (tijdens de sportwedstrijd)

How do you conjugate zitten for wij, and is there a simpler way to remember it?

zitten (“to sit”) is irregular. Present tense conjugation:

• ik zit
• jij zit
• hij/zij/het zit
• wij zitten
• jullie zitten
• zij zitten
  For wij, you add -en to the stem zit-, giving zitten.

What is the gender of tribune, and why does it take de instead of het?

tribune is a feminine noun in Dutch, but most learners simply memorize its article as de tribune. There’s no easy rule for every noun’s gender, so frequent exposure and practice help.