Learn Hardcore Dutch: Wij schuilen onder het afdak totdat de regenbui over is. - We shelter under the canopy until the rain shower is over.

Schuilen is an intransitive verb meaning to take shelter or find cover (especially from rain, snow or wind). It does not carry the sense of hiding from people (that would be verstoppen or zich verbergen).

Why do we say onder het afdak instead of just onder afdak?

Dutch prepositions like onder are normally followed by a noun phrase with an article. Here het afdak (‘the canopy/roof extension’) specifies which shelter you’re under. Omitting the article (onder afdak) would sound ungrammatical.

What is an afdak?

An afdak is a small roof-like overhang or canopy attached to a building, designed to keep rain off the area immediately below. In English you might call it an awning, canopy or lean-to roof.

Why is the article het used instead of de?

Afdak is a neuter noun in Dutch, so it takes the neuter article het. Unfortunately there’s no simple rule to predict de vs het for every word – you usually have to learn the article together with the noun.

What does regenbui mean?

A regenbui is a rain shower or downpour – a relatively short, heavy burst of rain, as opposed to steady rain (motregen or regen).

Why is totdat used here, and could we just use tot?

Totdat is a subordinating conjunction that introduces the point in time when something ends. You can often replace it with tot when a full clause follows (same subject), for example:
• “Wij schuilen onder het afdak tot de regenbui over is.”
Both are correct; totdat is slightly more formal or explicit.

Why does is appear at the end of the clause “totdat de regenbui over is”?

In Dutch subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like totdat, the finite verb moves to the very end. Here over is an adverb meaning “finished” or “done,” and is is the verb that ends the clause.

Can we replace over is with voorbij is?

Yes. Voorbij zijn also expresses that something has passed or is over. You could say:
• “Wij schuilen onder het afdak totdat de regenbui voorbij is.”
Both constructions are common and mean essentially the same thing.

Could we rephrase the sentence using stopt instead of over is?

Absolutely. To focus on the moment the rain ceases, you can say:
• “Wij schuilen onder het afdak totdat de regenbui stopt.”
That shifts the nuance slightly to the act of stopping rather than the shower being completely finished.