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### The Task-Focused Continuous: **bezig zijn**

To emphasize that someone is engaged in an ongoing task or deeply focused, Dutch uses **bezig zijn** (to be busy).

### Using **bezig zijn met**

When the focus is a physical object (a noun) or a general activity (an infinitive acting as a noun), pair **bezig zijn** with the preposition **met** (with).

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### Using **te** + Infinitive for Specific Actions

To describe an ongoing action with a direct object, drop *met*. Place the object after *bezig zijn* and add **te** before the infinitive at the end of the clause.

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**Separable Verbs:** Many mechanical actions use separable verbs, such as **losdraaien** (to loosen) or **vastdraaien** (to tighten). The word **te** goes between the prefix and the verb, written as three separate words (e.g., *los te draaien*).

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Task-focused continuous (bezig zijn met)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

determiner/pronoun

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Singular pronouns and 'to be' (ik ben, hij is)

The formal 'you' (u bent)

Definite articles (de, het)

Plural pronouns and 'to be' (wij zijn)

The verb 'to have' (hebben)

Basic word order

Numbers 1 to 10 (een, twee, drie)

Verb stems and the 'I' form (ik werk)

Long vowels in verb stems (maken, ik maak)

Short vowels in verb stems (zitten, ik zit)

Present tense singular (-t)

Present tense plural (-en)

Yes/no questions

Question words (wie, wat, waar)

Noun negation (geen)

Plural nouns (-en)

Plural nouns (-s)

Diminutives (-je)

Adjective modifiers (heel, erg, te)

Verb negation (niet)

Singular possessives (mijn, jouw, zijn, haar)

Plural and formal possessives (ons/onze, jullie, hun, uw)

This and these (deze, dit)

That and those (die, dat)

Asking which (welke, welk)

Numbers 11 to 20 (elf, twaalf, dertien...)

Tens and compound numbers (dertig, veertig...)

Ordinal numbers 1st to 10th (eerste, tweede...)

Telling time: hours and half hours (uur, half)

Telling time: quarters (kwart over, kwart voor)

Question words (hoeveel, waarom)

Irregular verbs (doen, gaan, staan, zien, komen)

Adjective endings (+e)

Adjectives with 'het' words

Prepositions of place (uit, bij)

Subject-verb inversion

Time before place

Modal verbs (willen, kunnen)

Modal verbs (moeten, mogen)

The verb bracket

Separable prefix verbs

The imperative mood (kom, luister)

Singular object pronouns (mij, jou, hem, haar)

Plural and formal object pronouns (ons, jullie, hen, u)

Reflexive verbs and pronouns (zich, me, je)

Position of negation (niet)

The present perfect tense with regular verbs (hebben gewerkt)

The present perfect tense with motion verbs (zijn gegaan)

Irregular past participles (gezien, gedaan)

The present continuous (zijn aan het)

There is / there are (er is, er zijn)

Unstressed there (er)

And, but, or (en, maar, of)

Because (want)

Months of the year

Prepositions of time (om, van ... tot)

Greetings and politeness

Conversational glue

Prepositions with days (op)

Prepositions with seasons (in)

Genitive of time ('s morgens, 's nachts)

Adverbs of frequency (altijd, vaak)

The future tense (gaan)

The future tense (zullen)

Separable verbs with auxiliary verbs

Apostrophe plurals ('-s)

Irregular plurals (-eren)

Complex diminutives (-pje, -etje, -kje)

Possessive 's (Jan's, vaders)

Indefinite pronouns (iets, niemand, alles)

Indefinite subject pronoun (je)

Reciprocal pronoun (elkaar)

Comparative adjectives (-er dan)

Comparatives with spelling change (-der)

Superlative adjectives (-st)

Irregular comparisons (beter, meer, minder)

Expressing preference (graag, liever, het liefst)

Equality comparisons (even ... als)

Fixed prepositions

That clauses (dat)

Because clauses (omdat)

If and when clauses (als)

Inversion after clauses

Separable verbs in clauses

Negation in clauses (niet)

Past tense of to be (was / waren)

Past tense of to have (had / hadden)

Question	Answer
the mechanic	de monteur
to tinker	sleutelen
The mechanic is busy tinkering.	De monteur is bezig met sleutelen.
the exhaust	de uitlaat
to loosen	losdraaien
The mechanic is busy unscrewing the exhaust.	De monteur is bezig de uitlaat los te draaien.
the brake	de rem
I am not yet busy loosening the brake.	Ik ben nog niet bezig de rem los te draaien.
the battery	de accu
the oil	de olie
Are you busy with the battery or the oil?	Ben jij bezig met de accu of de olie?
the metal	het metaal
to tighten	vastdraaien
We are busy tightening the screw in the metal.	Wij zijn bezig de schroef in het metaal vast te draaien.
the jack	de krik
The old mechanic is busy with the jack.	De oude monteur is bezig met de krik.
He is busy tinkering on the new exhaust.	Hij is bezig met sleutelen aan de nieuwe uitlaat.
She is not yet busy with the battery and the brake.	Zij is nog niet bezig met de accu en de rem.
The boy is busy removing the hot oil from the metal.	De jongen is bezig de hete olie van het metaal te verwijderen.
Are you busy tightening the exhaust?	Ben je bezig de uitlaat vast te draaien?
The mechanic is not yet busy changing the oil.	De monteur is nog niet bezig de olie te verversen.
He is busy repairing the jack and the brake.	Hij is bezig de krik en de rem te repareren.
to be busy with	bezig zijn met
The mechanic is busy with the brake.	De monteur is bezig met de rem.
We are busy with the metal.	Wij zijn bezig met het metaal.

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