schijnt

Schijnt is the present tense form of the Dutch verb schijnen, which has two main meanings: to emit light (to shine) and to appear or seem (to seem). The word can refer to physical illumination as well as to perception or uncertainty about a situation.

In its literal sense, schijnen describes light or brightness produced by the sun, lamps, or other sources. Examples include De zon schijnt vandaag (The sun is shining today) and De straatlantaarns schijnen door het raam. This sense is common in everyday language and in weather or travel reports.

In a figurative sense, schijnen expresses appearance or likelihood. It is used to say that something seems to be the case, often with het schijnt dat... or with schijnen te + infinitive. Examples: Het schijnt dat hij morgen komt (It seems that he is coming tomorrow) and Hij schijnt te slapen als ik hem terugbel (He appears to be sleeping when I call him). The phrase schijnen te conveys a tentative or reported impression rather than a definite fact.

Grammatical notes: schijnt is the third-person singular present form; other present forms include schijnen for wij/jullie/zij. The past tense is scheen, and the past participle is geschenen, used with has/had. The noun schijn exists as well, meaning appearance or illusion, and is the basis for related words such as schijnbaar (apparently) and schijnwaar (apparent).

Usage tips: distinguish physical shining from figurative use by context, and recognize common collocations with te + infinitive for expressed appearances or suppositions.