Learn Hardcore Dutch: Tom en Anna glimlachen naar elkaar in de tuin. - Tom and Anna smile at each other in the garden.

glimlachen naar: the most common, neutral choice.
glimlachen tegen: also possible, a bit more colloquial or interaction-focused. Avoid aan or op here—they don’t work with this verb. Note: with lachen (to laugh), prepositions change meaning: lachen naar iemand (to smile at), lachen om iets/iemand (to laugh about/at), iemand uitlachen (to laugh at, mock).

Can I drop the preposition and say Tom en Anna glimlachen elkaar?

No. Glimlachen needs a preposition if you mention the target. Use:

Tom en Anna glimlachen naar elkaar. A concise alternative is the separable verb toelachen:
Tom en Anna lachen elkaar toe. (also means “smile at each other”)

What’s the difference between glimlachen and lachen?

glimlachen = to smile (silent, just a facial expression).
lachen = to laugh (with sound). However, Dutch allows lachen naar iemand to mean “to smile at someone,” which can overlap with glimlachen in practice. For laughing about something, use lachen om.

How do I conjugate glimlachen?

Present: ik glimlach, jij/hij/zij glimlacht, wij/jullie/zij glimlachen.
Simple past: ik/hij glimlachte, wij/jullie/zij glimlachten.
Perfect: hebben
- geglimlacht (e.g., Tom en Anna hebben geglimlacht).

Why is naar elkaar before in de tuin? Can I reverse them?

Yes, both orders are possible. Many speakers keep the verb’s complement (naar elkaar) close to the verb and put place phrases (in de tuin) later:

Tom en Anna glimlachen naar elkaar in de tuin. (common)
Tom en Anna glimlachen in de tuin naar elkaar. (also fine)

What happens if I start the sentence with In de tuin?

Dutch is verb-second (V2), so the finite verb comes right after the first constituent:

In de tuin glimlachen Tom en Anna naar elkaar.

What exactly does elkaar mean, and when do I use it?

Elkaar is the reciprocal pronoun “each other/one another.” Use it when the subject involves two or more people acting mutually. It can follow prepositions:

Wij kennen elkaar.
Zij glimlachen naar elkaar.

Is mekaar also correct?

Yes, mekaar is an informal/colloquial variant of elkaar (common in speech and in Belgium). In standard writing, elkaar is preferred:

naar elkaar (standard)
naar mekaar (colloquial/regional)

Can I say na elkaar instead of naar elkaar?

No. Naar = “to/towards,” while na = “after.” Na elkaar means “one after another/in succession,” which changes the meaning.

How do I negate this sentence, and where does niet go?

Place niet before the part you want to negate:

General negation: Tom en Anna glimlachen niet.
Not smiling at each other (maybe at someone else): Tom en Anna glimlachen niet naar elkaar (in de tuin).
Not in the garden (maybe elsewhere): Tom en Anna glimlachen niet in de tuin.

Why is it de tuin and not het tuin?

Because tuin is a common gender noun that takes de. Use:

in de tuin = in the (specific) garden
in een tuin = in a garden (unspecified) You could also say in hun tuin (in their garden), in de achtertuin (in the backyard), etc.

How do I pronounce the tricky sounds in this sentence?

g/ch in glimlachen: a guttural sound (/[ɣ]); lighter in Flanders, harsher in the Netherlands.
ui in tuin: the Dutch diphthong [œy], no direct English equivalent—round your lips as for “uh” then glide toward “oo” of “you.”
aa in naar/elkaar: a long open “a” sound.

Do I use hebben or zijn for the perfect tense with glimlachen?

Use hebben: Tom en Anna hebben naar elkaar geglimlacht. (It’s not a motion/change-of-state verb, so not zijn.)

Could I use a different verb to say “smile at each other”?

Yes, toelachen (separable) is a common alternative:

Present: Ze lachen elkaar toe.
Perfect: Ze hebben elkaar toegelachen. This is concise and idiomatic.

Is in de tuin standard, or should it be op de tuin?

In de tuin is standard. Op de tuin is regional (often Belgian Dutch, sometimes in the sense of an allotment). Stick with in de tuin in standard Dutch.

Can I replace the names with pronouns, and what changes?

Yes: Ze glimlachen naar elkaar in de tuin. Here ze means “they,” and the verb stays plural (glimlachen). Context (and the plural verb form) distinguishes it from singular ze (“she”).