breakfast [noun] [het ontbijt, de ontbijten]

‘Ontbijt’ consists of ‘ont’ and ‘bijt’. The latter is derived from ‘bijten’: to bite. The original meaning of ‘ont’ is ‘preceding’, so ‘ontbijt’ means something like ‘starting to eat’. But no Dutch person would know or care!
The verb that goes with ‘ontbijt’ is ‘ontbijten’: to have breakfast.

Examples:
- "Het ontbijt is de belangrijkste maaltijd van de dag."
("Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.")

- "Zal ik voor jou een lekker ontbijtje maken?"
("Shall I prepare you a tasty breakfast?" The diminutive use of ‘ontbijt’ is quite common in informal settings.)

- "Omdat je jarig bent, krijg je vandaag ontbijt op bed!"
("Because it is your birthday, you will get breakfast in bed!")

- "Is de overnachting inclusief ontbijt?"
("Is breakfast included (in the stay)?" An ‘overnachting’ is a stay of one night.)

- "Waar is de ontbijtzaal?"
("Where is the breakfast room?")

Related words:
- "Ontbijten": to have breakfast.
- "Lunchen": to lunch, to have lunch.
- "Eten": to eat.
- "Middageten": lunch, midday meal.
- "Avondeten": dinner, supper, evening meal.
- "Dineren": to dine.