De onbezorgde kinderen zijn druk bezig met spelen op de schommel.

Questions & Answers about De onbezorgde kinderen zijn druk bezig met spelen op de schommel.

Why is spelen used directly after met here?
In Dutch, a bare infinitive like spelen can act as a verbal noun, similar to an English gerund (playing). Since met is a preposition, it expects a noun, so met spelen literally means 'with playing'.
Could I use the aan het continuous form here instead of bezig met?
Yes, you could say zijn druk aan het spelen. Both express that an action is ongoing. However, bezig zijn met slightly emphasizes the fact that they are occupied or busy, whereas aan het just focuses on the action being in progress.
Why does onbezorgd get an -e ending to become onbezorgde?
Because it modifies a plural noun (kinderen). Plural nouns always take the definite article de, and any adjective placed right before a de-word gets an -e ending.
Is druk functioning as an adjective or an adverb here?
It acts as an adverb modifying the adjective bezig. While bezig means 'busy' or 'occupied', adding druk intensifies it, translating to 'very busy' or 'actively busy'.

Learn De onbezorgde kinderen zijn druk bezig met spelen op de schommel and more in Dutch

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free