| Grammar Notes: Word-by-word breakdown: *Sentence 1: Een koe rust in een weiland.* - Een – indefinite article “a/an”. It is used with both common-gender and neuter nouns. - koe – noun “cow” (de koe; plural koeien). - rust – verb “rests/is resting”; third person singular present of rusten (to rest). - in – preposition “in”. - een – indefinite article “a/an”. - weiland – noun “meadow/pasture” (het weiland; plural weilanden). *Sentence 2: In de verte is een meer te zien.* - In – preposition “in”. - de – definite article “the”; used with common-gender nouns. - verte – noun “distance” (de verte). *In de verte* = “in the distance”. - is – verb “is”; third person singular present of zijn (to be). - een – indefinite article “a/an”. - meer – noun “lake” (het meer; plural meren). Note: *meer* can also mean “more”, but here it is a lake. - te – particle used with an infinitive; in *te zien* it forms a construction meaning “to be seen”. - zien – verb infinitive “to see”. In *is te zien*, it means “can be seen” or “is visible”. Grammar tip: *Zijn + te + infinitive* expresses possibility or a passive idea: *een meer is te zien* = “a lake can be seen / is to be seen”. Also note the inversion: because *In de verte* is moved to the front of the sentence, the verb is comes second and the subject een meer comes after it. Related words: - *weide* = meadow/pasture; *land* = land. - *ver* = far; *veraf* = far away; *afstand* = distance. - *rust* = rest; *uitrusten* = to rest up; *rustig* = quiet. - *rund* = cattle/bovine animal; *stier* = bull; *kalf* = calf. - *meer* (“more”) is a homonym; *plas* = small lake/pool; *vijver* = pond; *zee* = sea. - *kijken* = to look; *uitzicht* = view. |
