Learn Dutch: Ik ben aan het tekenen.

To say that you are in the middle of doing something, Dutch uses the verb zijn (to be) followed by the fixed phrase aan het and then the full verb (infinitive). Here, it is ben (am) + aan het + tekenen (drawing).

What does aan het literally mean?

Literally, it translates to 'at the' or 'on the'. So Ik ben aan het tekenen translates word-for-word as 'I am at the drawing'. It is the standard Dutch way to show an action is currently ongoing.

Could I just say Ik teken instead of this longer sentence?

Yes! Ik teken can mean both 'I draw' and 'I am drawing' in English. However, using Ik ben aan het tekenen puts extra focus on the fact that you are actively busy drawing right at this very moment.

Where would I put an object, like a house (een huis), in this sentence?

The object goes between the verb ben and the phrase aan het. You would say Ik ben een huis aan het tekenen. In Dutch, aan het and the infinitive verb usually stay together at the very end of the sentence.