Breakdown of De hond is op de bank aan het dromen.
zijn
to be
de hond
the dog
op
on
de bank
the sofa / the couch
aan
on / at (attached to, edge)
dromen
to dream
Questions & Answers about De hond is op de bank aan het dromen.
Why is the sentence ordered is op de bank aan het dromen instead of is aan het dromen op de bank?
In Dutch, when using the zijn aan het structure for an ongoing action, the parts split up. The conjugated verb (is) takes the normal second position, but aan het and the infinitive verb (dromen) are pushed to the very end of the sentence. Extra details like the location op de bank go in the middle.
What exactly do the words aan het do in this sentence?
Literally they mean 'at the', but here they act like the '-ing' ending in English. Combined with is, the phrase is ... aan het dromen translates to 'is dreaming'. This is the standard way in Dutch to show that an action is happening right now.
Can I just say De hond droomt op de bank instead?
Yes, you can! De hond droomt means 'The dog dreams' or 'The dog is dreaming'. Dutch often uses the simple present for ongoing actions. However, using the special is ... aan het dromen structure strongly emphasizes that the dog is in the middle of the action right at this exact moment.
Wait, doesn't bank mean a place where you keep money?
It can mean both! The Dutch word bank has multiple meanings. It is the word for a financial institution, but it is also the standard word for a couch or sofa. The context of a dog sleeping tells us it is a couch here.
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