Ik werk eraan in de bibliotheek.

I am working on it in the library.

Breakdown of Ik werk eraan in de bibliotheek.

• ik: I
• in: in
• werken: to work
• de bibliotheek: the library
• eraan: of that

Questions & Answers about Ik werk eraan in de bibliotheek.

What exactly does eraan mean, and why is it written as one word?

Eraan is a combination of er + aan and is called a pronominal adverb in Dutch.

• aan = the preposition on / about / to (as in werken aan iets = to work on something).
• er = a pronoun referring back to it / that / this / what we just mentioned.

So eraan literally means “on it”, but Dutch normally fuses er + aan into one word when er is referring to something previously mentioned.

Examples:

• Ik werk aan het project. – I work on the project.
• Ik werk eraan. – I work on it. (referring to that project)

Why do we use er here and not het (like ik werk het aan)?

In Dutch, you generally:

• use het as a direct object:
  • Ik zie het. – I see it.
• but use er + preposition (fused into one word) when English would say “on it / about it / with it” etc.:
  • Ik werk eraan. – I work on it.
  • Ik denk eraan. – I think about it.
  • Ik wacht erop. – I wait for it.

So werken aan iets → when iets is replaced by a pronoun, you say eraan, not het aan.

Could I write er aan as two separate words instead of eraan?

In modern standard Dutch, the normal spelling in this sentence is one word: eraan.

You do sometimes see er aan written separately, but:

• As a rule, when er is a pronoun linked to a preposition, you write them together: eraan, ermee, erop, ervan, etc.
• Writing them separately is usually either:
  • old-fashioned,
  • non‑standard,
  • or only correct in a special grammatical situation where er is not functioning as part of a pronominal adverb.

So for a learner, treat eraan as the correct and standard form here.

Why is the word order Ik werk eraan in de bibliotheek and not Ik werk in de bibliotheek eraan?

Dutch tends to put short, “light” elements earlier and longer or more specific information later.

Here:

• eraan = short and strongly connected to werk (it completes the verb werken aan).
• in de bibliotheek = a place phrase, a bit longer.

So Ik werk eraan in de bibliotheek feels natural: verb + its “on it” complement, then the place.

Ik werk in de bibliotheek eraan is not ungrammatical, but it sounds odd or overly heavy; a native speaker would almost always prefer the original order in a neutral sentence.

Can I say Ik werk eraan on its own, without in de bibliotheek?

Yes.

Ik werk eraan. by itself is a perfectly normal sentence, meaning “I’m working on it.” You would use it when the context already makes clear what “it” is.

Adding in de bibliotheek just adds the location: in the library.

Can I also say Ik werk er in de bibliotheek aan? Is that different?

Yes, Ik werk er in de bibliotheek aan is possible and grammatical, but there is a nuance:

• Ik werk eraan in de bibliotheek.
  – The default, smooth version. eraan stays next to the verb it belongs to.
• Ik werk er in de bibliotheek aan.
  – Here er and aan are split to avoid having two prepositional phrases in a row (eraan
  • in de bibliotheek). This word order is more common when:
    • you have long or multiple prepositional phrases, or
    • you want to emphasize the place a bit more.

For simple sentences, learners are safer sticking with Ik werk eraan in de bibliotheek.

Does Ik werk mean “I work” or “I am working”? Why is there no separate -ing form?

Dutch usually uses the simple present for both:

• Ik werk.
  – can mean I work (in general) or I am working (right now), depending on context.
• Ik werk eraan in de bibliotheek.
  – here context usually suggests I am working on it in the library (a current activity).

Dutch can form a progressive (e.g. Ik ben aan het werken), but it’s used less often and is not needed in most cases. Simple present is the default.

Could I say Ik ben eraan aan het werken in de bibliotheek to mean “I am working on it in the library”?

You can, but it’s clumsy and rarely needed.

• Ik ben eraan aan het werken in de bibliotheek.
  is grammatically possible, but it has:

  • ben (to be),
  • aan het werken (progressive),
  • eraan (on it),

  all packed together, which sounds heavy.

In normal Dutch, you would almost always just say:

• Ik werk eraan in de bibliotheek.

That already covers the “I am working on it (now)” meaning.

What does werken aan mean as a verb combination?

Werken aan is a common verb + preposition combination meaning “to work on” something, usually something that needs development, repair, or improvement:

• Ik werk aan mijn Nederlands. – I’m working on my Dutch.
• We werken aan een nieuw project. – We’re working on a new project.

When you replace the object with a pronoun, aan + het/dat/dit becomes eraan:

• Ik werk aan het verslag. → Ik werk eraan.

Why is it in de bibliotheek and not something like op de bibliotheek or bij de bibliotheek?

Prepositions in Dutch are somewhat idiomatic, like in English.

• in de bibliotheek = inside the library building.
  (parallel to English “in the library”)
• bij de bibliotheek = at / by the library (maybe near it, or at the library as an institution, not necessarily inside).
• op de bibliotheek is usually wrong here; op with places often means on top of or at in some idioms, but not with bibliotheek.

For working or studying inside a building, Dutch normally uses in:

• Ik werk in de bibliotheek.
• Ik studeer in de bibliotheek.

Do I always need the article de before bibliotheek here?

Yes, in this neutral sentence you do:

• in de bibliotheek = in the library (a specific place in the real world).

Without an article (in bibliotheek) is wrong unless Bibliotheek is part of an official name (e.g. in Bibliotheek Rotterdam), where it behaves like a proper noun.

So for general “the library” as a place, always say de bibliotheek.

Where would eraan go in a longer or subordinate clause?

In main clauses, Dutch is verb‑second, so werk is in position 2 and eraan follows it:

• Ik werk eraan in de bibliotheek.

In a subordinate clause, the conjugated verb usually goes to the end, and eraan stays close to it:

• omdat ik eraan in de bibliotheek werk
  = because I work on it in the library.

You can also split it if needed:

• omdat ik er in de bibliotheek aan werk

Both are possible; for learners, keeping eraan together and near the verb is a good rule of thumb.