To say that you are busy doing something right now, Dutch uses a form of _zijn_ + _aan het_ + an infinitive (the basic form of a verb, like _koken_): _Ik ben aan het koken_, I'm cooking. To also show how your body is positioned, use _zitten_, _staan_, _liggen_ or _lopen_ + _te_ + infinitive: _Ik zit te lezen_, I'm sitting reading. For most other English -ing sentences, the plain present tense is enough.
The pattern
Stress an action in progress with _zijn_ + _aan het_ + infinitive. Add the body position with _zitten_, _staan_, _liggen_ or _lopen_ + _te_ + infinitive.
- _Zijn_ changes with the subject: _ik ben_, _jij bent_, _ze is_, _we zijn_. The infinitive usually comes last.
- An object such as _een boek_ or _de soep_ goes before _aan het_: _Ik ben een boek aan het lezen._
- With a posture verb, the object goes before _te_: _Mei zit een mail te schrijven._
- Separable verbs stay in one piece after _aan het_ (_aan het opruimen_), but _te_ splits them (_af te wassen_). See [separable verbs](#/lesson/separable-verbs).
- Verbs for states rather than activities, such as _weten_, _kennen_ and _houden van_, normally stay in the plain present.
Examples
| Ik ben aan het koken, kun je straks terugbellen? | I'm cooking, can you call back later? |
|---|---|
| Daan is zijn fiets aan het repareren. | Daan is repairing his bike. |
| We zijn aan het verhuizen, dus het is hier een chaos. | We're moving house, so it's chaos here. |
| Fatima zit in de trein te lezen. | Fatima is reading on the train. |
| Joris staat bij de bushalte te wachten. | Joris is waiting at the bus stop. |
| Mijn zoon ligt nog te slapen. | My son is still sleeping. |
| Carlos loopt de hele dag te zingen. | Carlos goes around singing all day. |
| Priya staat in de keuken af te wassen. | Priya is doing the dishes in the kitchen. |
| Wat doe je vanavond? | What are you doing tonight? |
| Ik werk vandaag thuis. | I'm working from home today. |
Why it works this way
_Het koken_ is a verb used as a noun: the cooking. So _Ik ben aan het koken_ is literally "I am at the cooking": you are in the middle of it and your hands are busy. German speakers know the same idea as "am Kochen".
The Dutch present tense already covers "now": _Ik kook_ can mean I cook or I'm cooking. That is why _aan het_ is optional most of the time. Speakers add it when the busy-right-now part matters, for example to explain why they can't answer the door. More on the basic form in [the present tense](#/lesson/present-tense).
Compare:
- _Ik werk in Utrecht._ My job is in Utrecht.
- _Ik ben aan het werken._ I'm busy working right now.
- _Bas leest de krant._ Bas reads the paper, or is reading it.
- _Bas zit de krant te lezen._ Bas is sitting there reading the paper.
The posture verbs reflect a Dutch habit of saying how someone is positioned. _Zitten_ is the most common one. _Lopen_ often suggests that someone keeps doing something, sometimes annoyingly, even without much walking: _Hij loopt altijd te klagen._
Remember: _aan het_ is "at the": you are at the cooking, at the cleaning. If your body position is part of the picture, swap in _zit_, _sta_, _lig_ or _loop_ and add _te_.
Watch out
- Not: _Ik ben aan koken._ Say: _Ik ben aan het koken._ (the _het_ is part of the pattern; German "am" tempts you to drop it)
- Not: _Ik ben aan het lezen een boek._ Say: _Ik ben een boek aan het lezen._ (the object goes before _aan het_)
- Not: _Ik zit lezen._ Say: _Ik zit te lezen._ (a posture verb needs _te_ here)
- Not: _Ik ben aan het te koken._ Say: _Ik ben aan het koken._ (_aan het_ takes the bare infinitive; _te_ goes with _zit_, _sta_, _lig_ and _loop_)
Quick check
- Fix the word order: _Daan is aan het maken de pizza._
- Fill in one word: _Yara zit op de bank een serie ... kijken._
- Emma has the flu and is in bed. Choose _zit_, _staat_ or _ligt_: _Emma ... te slapen._
- Put the verb _opruimen_ in the gap: _Lotte staat in de keuken ... ._
Answers
- _Daan is de pizza aan het maken._ (the object goes before _aan het_)
- _te_ (posture verb + _te_ + infinitive)
- _ligt_ (she is lying in bed)
- _op te ruimen_ (_te_ splits a separable verb after a posture verb)
Use it today
The next time someone calls or texts you, answer with what you are doing at that moment, such as _Ik ben aan het koken_ or _Ik lig op de bank te lezen_. On the train, describe two fellow passengers to yourself: _Die man staat te bellen._