Breakdown of Iedereen is de brief aan het vertalen, behalve u.
zijn
to be
u
you (formal)
de brief
the letter
vertalen
to translate
iedereen
everyone
behalve
except / besides
Questions & Answers about Iedereen is de brief aan het vertalen, behalve u.
Why does de brief come before aan het vertalen?
In Dutch, the present continuous is formed with a conjugated form of zijn + aan het + an infinitive. A direct object, like de brief (the letter), must be placed inside the "verb bracket." This means it goes between the conjugated verb (is) and the continuous marker (aan het). It is incorrect to say is aan het vertalen de brief like you would in English.
Since Iedereen means multiple people, why do we use the singular verb is?
Just like the English word "everyone," the Dutch pronoun iedereen is grammatically singular. Because of this, it always takes a singular conjugated verb like is, rather than the plural zijn.
Why is behalve u placed after the final verb vertalen? Shouldn't the verbs always go at the very end?
While the aan het + infinitive combo usually closes the sentence, certain phrases can be placed outside the verb bracket at the very end. Phrases starting with behalve (except) are often added as an afterthought right after the final verb. This is completely normal and keeps the middle of the sentence from feeling cluttered.
Could we just use the simple present and say Iedereen vertaalt de brief?
Yes, that is grammatically correct and means almost the same thing. However, using the aan het structure specifically emphasizes that the translating is an ongoing action happening right now, at this exact moment.
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