Breakdown of De collega is de e-mail aan het typen.
zijn
to be
de collega
the colleague
de e-mail
the email
typen
to type
Questions & Answers about De collega is de e-mail aan het typen.
Why does de e-mail come before aan het typen?
In Dutch, the present continuous is formed using a verb bracket. The conjugated verb (is) takes the second position, and the continuous marker with the infinitive (aan het typen) goes to the very end of the clause. The direct object (de e-mail) is placed inside this bracket, meaning it must come before aan het.
Can I say De collega is aan het typen de e-mail just like in English?
No, that is grammatically incorrect in Dutch. The aan het plus infinitive combination almost always stays together at the end of the clause. The direct object has to be placed before it.
Is typen treated like a normal Dutch verb even though it comes from English?
Yes! Typen is a loanword that has been fully adopted. It follows regular Dutch rules, which is why it gets the standard -en ending for its infinitive form here.
Could I use the word bezig to express this continuous action instead?
Yes, you could say De collega is bezig met het typen van de e-mail. Both express that an action is currently happening, but the aan het construction shown in this sentence is much more common and direct for simple, everyday actions.