Learn Dutch: Er worden hier veel flats en wolkenkrabbers gebouwd. - Many apartment blocks and skyscrapers are being built here.

In Dutch, the passive voice for an ongoing action uses the verb worden (to become), while zijn (to be) is used when the action is already finished. Because the buildings are currently being built, we use worden along with the past participle gebouwd.

Why does the sentence start with Er?

Er acts as a placeholder subject here. When the real subject of a passive sentence is indefinite, meaning we are talking about a general amount like veel flats en wolkenkrabbers rather than specific buildings, Dutch puts Er at the start and moves the real subject later in the sentence.

Why is the past participle gebouwd at the very end of the sentence?

In a standard Dutch main clause, the conjugated verb, which is worden in this case, takes the second position. Any other verbs in the clause, such as the past participle gebouwd, are pushed to the very end of the sentence.

Is flats a native Dutch word?

It is a loanword! Dutch borrowed the British English word flat to mean an apartment or an apartment building. In Dutch, you make it plural by just adding an s, giving you flats.

How is the word formed?