Breakdown of De monteur is nog niet bezig de olie te verversen.
zijn
to be
niet
not
nog
still, yet / more, another (with a quantity)
te
to (infinitive marker)
bezig
busy (occupied, engaged)
verversen
to change (refresh)
de monteur
the mechanic
de olie
the oil
Questions & Answers about De monteur is nog niet bezig de olie te verversen.
Wait, I thought 'to be busy with' was bezig zijn met. Why is there no met in this sentence?
When bezig zijn is followed by a verb phrase using te + infinitive (like de olie te verversen), you drop the word met. You only use met when it is followed by a noun or a gerund (an infinitive acting as a noun).
How would this sentence look if I did want to use met?
You would have to turn the action into a noun phrase using het. The sentence would become: De monteur is nog niet bezig met het verversen van de olie.
Why is 'changing' translated as verversen here rather than a common word like veranderen?
Verversen comes from the word vers (fresh) and literally means 'to freshen up'. It is specifically used in Dutch for replacing liquids (like oil or water) or perishables with a fresh supply, as well as refreshing a webpage. Veranderen just means to alter or modify something.
Why does de olie come before te verversen?
In Dutch, when you have a te + infinitive construction, the object of that action (de olie) must be placed before the te + infinitive block at the end of the sentence.
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