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Jullie zijn het lied aan het oefenen.

Jullie zijn het lied aan het oefenen.
You are practicing the song.
From Lesson 51:The present continuous (zijn aan het)·Dutch

Questions & Answers about Jullie zijn het lied aan het oefenen.

Why is het lied placed in the middle of the verbs?
In Dutch, the present continuous is formed with a conjugated form of zijn (to be) + aan het + the infinitive verb. When there is a direct object like het lied (the song), it must go between the conjugated verb (zijn) and the aan het part.
Can I just say Jullie oefenen het lied instead?
Yes, you can! Dutch often uses the simple present for actions happening right now. However, using the zijn aan het structure specifically emphasizes that the action is ongoing at this very moment, exactly like "are practicing" in English.
Why do we use zijn here instead of bent?
Jullie is the plural "you" (like "you all" or "you guys"). In Dutch, plural pronouns always take the plural verb form. For the verb "to be", that is zijn. If you were talking to just one person, you would say Jij bent het lied aan het oefenen.
Why does oefenen end in -en? Is it because jullie is plural?
Not exactly! While plural verbs do end in -en, the word oefenen in this sentence is the infinitive (the basic dictionary form of the verb). The zijn aan het construction always requires the infinitive form of the action verb to sit at the very end of the sentence.

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