Breakdown of Zodra het spotlicht uitging, schoof de zware schuifdeur langzaam dicht.
zodra
as soon as
langzaam
slowly
zwaar
heavy
uitgaan
to go out
het spotlicht
the spotlight
dichtschuiven
to slide shut
de schuifdeur
the sliding door
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Questions & Answers about Zodra het spotlicht uitging, schoof de zware schuifdeur langzaam dicht.
What does zodra mean?
Zodra is a subordinating conjunction meaning “as soon as.” It introduces a temporal clause, indicating that one action follows immediately after another.
Why is the verb uitging placed at the end of the clause?
In Dutch subordinate clauses (introduced by words like zodra, omdat, terwijl, etc.), the finite verb moves to the very end. So in “Zodra het spotlicht uitging,” you first have the conjunction zodra, then subject het spotlicht, and the verb uitging at the end.
Why does the main clause start with schoof before de zware schuifdeur?
After a fronted element (here the entire subordinate clause), Dutch main clauses require inversion: the finite verb comes in position 1 (or 2 if you count the subordinating clause as position 1), and the subject follows it. Hence schoof (the past‐tense verb) comes before de zware schuifdeur.
What is dichtschuiven, and why is dicht at the end?
Dichtschuiven is a separable verb meaning “to slide closed.” In the simple past tense you split it:
- schoof = finite part (past of schuiven)
- dicht = separable prefix goes to the end
So schoof … dicht = “slid closed.”
How is schuifdeur formed, and what does it mean?
Schuifdeur is a compound noun made from schuif (“slide”) + deur (“door”). It corresponds to the English “sliding door.”
Why are uitging and schoof in the simple past instead of a perfect tense?
Dutch often uses the simple past (ott/ovt) in written or narrative contexts to describe past events, much like the English past simple. The perfect tense (heeft geschoven, is uitgegaan) would sound more conversational or descriptive of completed results.
Why is the article het used with spotlicht instead of de?
Spotlicht belongs to the neuter gender in Dutch (het-woord). Many nouns ending in -licht (e.g., daglicht, gaslicht) take het.
What does langzaam modify, and why is it placed before dicht?
Langzaam means “slowly.” It’s an adverb modifying the manner of the action dichtschuiven. In Dutch, adverbs typically precede the separable prefix when the verb is split, so you get schoof de zware schuifdeur langzaam dicht.=