Breakdown of De monteur is bezig de uitlaat los te draaien.
zijn
to be
te
to (infinitive marker)
bezig
busy (occupied, engaged)
de monteur
the mechanic
de uitlaat
the exhaust
losdraaien
to loosen
Questions & Answers about De monteur is bezig de uitlaat los te draaien.
Why is there no met after bezig in this sentence?
The phrase bezig zijn can be used in two ways to show you are busy. When you use it with a verb phrase (like unscrewing the exhaust), you use bezig zijn + te + infinitive. If you were just using a noun, you would use met: De monteur is bezig met de uitlaat (The mechanic is busy with the exhaust).
Why is te placed in the middle of losdraaien?
Losdraaien (to unscrew) is a separable verb, made up of los (loose) and draaien (to turn). When a separable verb is used in a te + infinitive construction, the te is always placed between the prefix and the main verb, resulting in three separate words: los te draaien.
Why does de uitlaat come before the verbs?
In Dutch, a te + infinitive construction goes at the very end of its clause. Any objects tied to that action, such as de uitlaat (the exhaust), must be placed before the verb phrase.
Could I use the aan het continuous form here instead?
Yes, you could say De monteur is de uitlaat aan het losdraaien. Both structures show an ongoing action. However, using is bezig... te draaien specifically emphasizes that the mechanic is actively occupied or tied up with this task, highlighting the effort or focus involved.
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