Basic actions happening now | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Basic actions happening now to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Wat ben je aan het doen?

vaht ben yuh ahn ut DOON? What are you doing?

Ik eet nu.

ik AYT nyoo. I am eating now.

Ik drink water.

ik drink VAH-ter. I am drinking water.

Ik maak het avondeten.

ik MAHK ut AH-vont-ay-tuhn. I am making dinner.

Ik maak mijn kamer schoon.

ik MAHK mine KAH-mer skhohn. I am cleaning my room.

Ik neem een douche.

ik NAYM uhn DOO-shuh. I am taking a shower.

Word by Word

Wat “Wat” means “what” in “Wat ben je aan het doen?”. It starts a question about the action someone is doing. Use it at the beginning of a question when asking for information about an action or thing.

ben “Ben” supplies the be-verb in “Wat ben je aan het doen?” and is the exact form of “zijn” used here. Together with “je aan het doen” it asks about the other person’s current action. A useful reusable question pattern is “Wat ben je aan het doen?” when asking one person what they are doing.

je “Je” means “you” in “Wat ben je aan het doen?”. It identifies the person whose action is being asked about. Use it after “ben” in this question when speaking to one person.

aan Here “aan” is part of the ongoing-action sequence “aan het doen”; it is not best understood by itself as “on”. This sequence helps express the action being carried out in the question. A reusable pattern is “aan het + verb” for describing an ongoing action.

het Here “het” is part of the ongoing-action sequence “aan het doen”. Its contribution is to complete the sequence before “doen”, rather than adding a separate meaning on its own. Use the full pattern “aan het + verb” when describing an action in progress.

doen “Doen” means “do” in “Wat ben je aan het doen?”. It appears at the end of the ongoing-action sequence and names the action being asked about. Use “Wat ben je aan het doen?” when asking someone about their current activity.

Ik “Ik” means “I” and marks the speaker in the statements in this dialogue. It appears at the beginning of statements such as “Ik eet nu.” and “Ik drink water.” Use “Ik” before an action when talking about something you are doing.

eet “Eet” means “eat” or “am eating” in “Ik eet nu.”. It is the exact form of “eten” used with “Ik” here, and Dutch expresses this action directly without a separate word for “am”. A useful reusable pattern is “Ik eet + food” when saying what you eat.

nu “Nu” means “now” in “Ik eet nu.”. It specifies that the eating is happening at the present moment. Place it after the action when adding that an action is happening now.

drink “Drink” means “drink” or “am drinking” in “Ik drink water.”. It is the exact form of “drinken” used with “Ik” here. Use “Ik drink + drink” to say what you are drinking.

water “Water” means “water” in “Ik drink water.”. It names what is being drunk and follows the action “drink”. Use it after “Ik drink” when talking about drinking water.

maak “Maak” means “make” or “prepare” in “Ik maak het avondeten.”. It is the exact form of “maken” used with “Ik” here and takes “het avondeten” as what is being prepared. A useful reusable pattern is “Ik maak + object” when saying what you are making.

avondeten “Avondeten” means “dinner” or “the evening meal” in “Ik maak het avondeten.”. It names the meal being prepared and is used with “het” here. Use “het avondeten” when referring to dinner as the meal being made.

mijn “Mijn” means “my” in “mijn kamer”. It shows that the room belongs to or is associated with the speaker. Place “mijn” before a noun when identifying something as yours.

kamer “Kamer” means “room” in “mijn kamer”. Together, “mijn kamer” identifies the speaker’s room as the object being cleaned. Use it after a possessive such as “mijn” when talking about a room.

schoon “Schoon” means “clean” in “Ik maak mijn kamer schoon.”. It describes the clean result of the action, while the full expression “maak mijn kamer schoon” means “clean my room”. A reusable pattern is “maak + object + schoon” when saying that you clean something.

neem “Neem” means “take” in “Ik neem een douche.” and is the exact form of “nemen” used with “Ik” here. In this expression, the full phrase means “take a shower”, rather than describing taking an object away. Use “Ik neem een douche.” when telling someone that you are taking a shower.

een “Een” means “a” in “een douche”. It introduces the noun “douche” in the expression “Ik neem een douche.”. Place “een” before a noun when referring to one non-specific item or activity.

douche “Douche” means “shower” in “een douche”. Together with “neem” it forms the activity in “Ik neem een douche.”. Use “een douche” when talking about taking a shower.

Grammar Points

aan het + infinitief

aan het eten

ahn ut AY-tuhn

eating / in the process of eating

Dutch uses aan het + infinitive to express an action that is currently in progress.

een douche nemen

een douche nemen

uhn DOO-shuh NAY-muh(n)

to take a shower

This is a fixed Dutch expression: use nemen, literally “to take,” with een douche.

Dutch Vocabulary

aan het doen phrase

ahn ut DOON doing

Wat ben je aan het doen?

avondeten noun

AH-vont-ay-tuhn dinner het avondeten

Ik maak het avondeten.

drinken verb

DRING-kuh(n) to drink drink

Ik drink water.

eten verb

AY-tuhn to eat eet

Ik eet nu.

ik pron

ik I

je pron

yuh you

Wat ben je aan het doen?

kamer noun

KAH-mer room

Ik maak mijn kamer schoon.

maken verb

MAH-kuh(n) to make maak

Ik maak het avondeten.

mijn det

mine my

Ik maak mijn kamer schoon.

nu adv

nyoo now

Ik eet nu.

wat pron

vaht what

Wat ben je aan het doen?

water noun

VAH-ter water

Ik drink water.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

What are you doing?

Show Answer

Wat ben je aan het doen?

I am eating now.

Show Answer

Ik eet nu.

I am drinking water.

Show Answer

Ik drink water.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

water

Show Answer

water

to make

Show Answer

maak

to drink

Show Answer

drink

Show Answer

mijn