Learn Dutch: We zijn het huis aan het schoonmaken, want het is vies. - We are cleaning the house, because it is dirty.

Want translates to "because", and it is a coordinating conjunction. This means it acts like a bridge between two independent sentences without changing the word order in either of them. After want, you just use normal Subject-Verb order: het (subject) + is (verb) + vies.

How does the "aan het" part work in this sentence?

The combination of the verb zijn (to be) + aan het + an infinitive verb (schoonmaken) is how Dutch creates the continuous tense, similar to "-ing" in English. It shows that the action is happening right now. Literally, it translates to "We are at the cleaning".

Why is "het huis" placed before "aan het"?

When you use the zijn aan het construction, the object receiving the action (in this case, het huis) goes between the conjugated verb (zijn) and the aan het part. The sentence structure literally becomes "We are the house at the cleaning".

What is the literal meaning of "schoonmaken"?

It is a compound verb made of schoon (clean) and maken (to make). In Dutch, combining words to describe an action is very common. You are literally "clean-making" the house!