This is the 175th most frequent Dutch word.
stad
City.
'Stad' is used here as a generic noun to refer to a specific city.
De stad Amsterdam is de hoofdstad van Nederland.
The city of Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands.
'Stad' is used here to indicate an urban area with various attractions.
In de stad zijn veel musea en cafés te bezoeken.
In the city, there are many museums and cafés to visit.
'Stad' is used to denote a specific city that is the context for the sentence.