Breakdown of De ouders zijn elkaar aan het kussen.
zijn
to be
de ouders
the parents
aan
on / at (attached to, edge)
elkaar
each other
Questions & Answers about De ouders zijn elkaar aan het kussen.
What exactly does elkaar do in this sentence?
Elkaar means "each other". It is a reciprocal pronoun, which simply means it shows an action goes both ways: one parent is kissing the other, and vice versa.
Why do we say zijn ... aan het kussen instead of just kussen?
The zijn aan het plus infinitive structure is the Dutch way to show that an action is currently in progress. It translates directly to the English continuous tense "are kissing" rather than just "kiss".
Why is elkaar placed in the middle of the sentence instead of at the end?
I have seen the word kussen used to mean "pillows". How do I know it is a verb here?
The grammar structure gives it away! The phrase aan het is always followed by an infinitive verb. Because of this rule, you instantly know kussen is the verb "to kiss" rather than a plural noun.