Learn Hardcore Dutch: De steward deelt snoep uit terwijl de passagiers wachten. - The steward hands out candy while the passengers wait.

The base verb is uitdelen (“to hand out”). In Dutch main clauses separable verbs split: the prefix uit goes to the end, while deelt is the conjugated part (stem deel + t for the third person singular).

Why does uit appear at the end of the clause?

Because uit is a separable prefix of uitdelen. In a simple (main) clause, Dutch places the conjugated verb in second position and moves the separable prefix to the clause-final position.

What does terwijl do, and why is wachten at the end?

terwijl is a subordinating conjunction meaning while. Subordinate clauses in Dutch push the finite verb to the end. Here, wachten is the 3rd person plural present form (identical to the infinitive), so it appears at the very end of the terwijl-clause.

Why is there no article before snoep?

snoep is a mass (uncountable) noun in Dutch—like English “candy.” Mass nouns typically don’t take an indefinite article (een), so you just say snoep rather than een snoep.

Why is the definite article de used for both steward and passagiers?

In Dutch, de is the definite article for all plurals and for singular common-gender nouns (masculine and feminine). Singular neuter nouns take het. Since steward is common gender and passagiers is plural, both use de.

Could we use geeft instead of deelt, as in De steward geeft snoep uit?

Yes, you could say De steward geeft snoep uit, since geven (“to give out”) works too. However, uitdelen emphasizes distributing items among a group, so deelt snoep uit is more idiomatic when handing out candy to multiple passengers.

Why is the sentence in the present tense? How would you say it in the past tense?

The present tense (deelt, wachten) describes a current or habitual action. To express it in the past, use the simple past:
De steward deelde snoep uit terwijl de passagiers wachtten.