Breakdown of De arts bezoekt hem, want hij is erg ziek.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
de arts
the doctor
erg
very / really
Questions & Answers about De arts bezoekt hem, want hij is erg ziek.
Why doesn't the word order change after want?
Want is a coordinating conjunction, which means it connects two normal, independent sentences. The word order in the second part stays exactly the same as a standalone sentence: subject (hij) followed by the verb (is). Later on, you'll learn another word for 'because' (omdat) that does push the verb to the end of the sentence.
The English translation says 'is visiting', but there is no word for 'is' before bezoekt. Why?
Dutch doesn't have a direct equivalent to the English '-ing' form (like 'is visiting'). Instead, you just use the simple present tense. So De arts bezoekt translates to both 'The doctor visits' and 'The doctor is visiting'.
Is there a difference between arts and dokter?
They both mean 'doctor' and are often used interchangeably. Arts is slightly more formal and is the official term for the profession. You will also see it used in compound words for medical specialists, like tandarts (dentist, literally 'tooth doctor').
Could I use heel instead of erg to say 'very sick'?
Yes, absolutely! When placed before an adjective like ziek, both erg and heel mean 'very'. You can say either erg ziek or heel ziek without changing the meaning.