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Questions & Answers about De dauw glinstert in de zon.
What does dauw mean?
Dauw means dew in English: the fine drops of water that collect on cool surfaces, like grass, early in the morning.
Why is de used before dauw instead of het?
In Dutch, nouns are either de-words or het-words. Dauw is a de-word (common gender), so it takes de.
What does glinstert mean?
Glinstert is the third-person singular present form of glinsteren, which means to glisten, sparkle, or gleam.
Why is the verb in the present tense?
Dutch uses the present tense to describe general truths or habitual actions. Here, De dauw glinstert describes what dew typically does when the sun is up.
Can I translate De dauw glinstert in de zon literally as The dew glistens in the sun?
Yes. That is the most natural literal translation. It conveys both the meaning and the image of dew sparkling in sunlight.
Why is the preposition in used rather than op or onder?
In de zon means in the sunlight or in the sun’s rays, implying immersion in light. Op de zon would mean on the sun’s surface, which doesn’t make sense here, and onder de zon means under the sun, often used idiomatically.
How do you pronounce glinstert?
It’s pronounced [ɣlɪnˈstɛrt]:
- g as a guttural sound like a soft ch in Scottish loch
- i as in bit
- stert with a clear t at the end
Is the word order always Subject–Verb–Object in Dutch?
Main clauses in Dutch typically follow S–V–O, just like in this sentence: De dauw (subject) glinstert (verb) in de zon (prepositional phrase). If you add adverbs or subordinate clauses, the order can change.