Breakdown of De steward deelt snoep uit terwijl de passagiers wachten.
terwijl
while
wachten
to wait
de passagier
the passenger
de steward
the steward
Questions & Answers about De steward deelt snoep uit terwijl de passagiers wachten.
Why is the verb split in deelt snoep uit, and what is the base verb here?
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.