Breakdown of Hij is bezig met sleutelen aan de nieuwe uitlaat.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
met
with
nieuw
new
Questions & Answers about Hij is bezig met sleutelen aan de nieuwe uitlaat.
Why do we use met sleutelen here instead of te sleutelen?
The phrase bezig zijn met must be followed by a noun. Here, the verb sleutelen is acting as a noun (just like the '-ing' word 'tinkering' in English). If you wanted to use the te + infinitive structure from this lesson, you would drop met and write: Hij is bezig aan de nieuwe uitlaat te sleutelen.
Why does the sentence use aan for 'on'?
The verb sleutelen (to tinker or repair) forms a fixed combination with the preposition aan. When you are doing mechanical work on a machine, vehicle, or project, you are always tinkering aan that thing in Dutch.
Does the word sleutelen have anything to do with keys?
Yes! The Dutch word for key is sleutel. However, sleutel also means 'wrench' or 'spanner'. Therefore, sleutelen literally means 'using a wrench', which translates perfectly to tinkering or doing mechanical repairs.
Could I use the aan het continuous form for this sentence instead?