continuous tense -- 'aan het [infinitive]'?

[user222]

Is it common to use the 'aan het [infinitive]' construction for the continious tense, such as, 'Ik ben aan het lopen' for 'I am walking'? And would it be incorrect to omit the 'het' before the infinitive?

[Marco]

Yes, this is possible and actually used often.

If you, for instance, have the Dutch version of MSN Messenger installed and the other person is typing a message you'll see this:

'(...)' is een bericht aan het typen

Its use in Dutch is very popular, so it's very useful to know when to use it.

You can't omit the 'het' part before the verb since the verb isn't a verb any more, but a noun. The 'aan het' construction requires a noun and not a verb, so you change the verb into a noun. I hope I'm clear.

[user222]

Some questions about the word order: if I want to say "He is reading a book", do I say "Hij is aan het lezen een boek" or "Hij is een boek aan het lezen"? And in a subordinate clause is it "...dat hij een boek is aan het lezen"?

[sedock]

Hey,

I am from Belgium, and the good answer is: ''Hij is een boek aan het lezen''.

[Bieneke]

In addition to what sedock wrote:

In the subordinate clause we write: ".. dat hij een boek aan het lezen is".

[user222]

In addition to what sedock wrote:

In the subordinate clause we write: ".. dat hij een boek aan het lezen is".

But isn't the independent verb usually placed at the end?

Are these below correct?

".. dat ik dat was aan het proberen doen."
"Ik was dat aan het proberen doen."

[Wim]

In addition to what sedock wrote:

In the subordinate clause we write: ".. dat hij een boek aan het lezen is".

But isn't the independent verb usually placed at the end?

Are these below correct?

".. dat ik dat was aan het proberen doen."
"Ik was dat aan het proberen doen."

Hallo User 222,

In aan het <verb> zijn the verb is used as a noun (het being the article to this noun), so zijn is the independent verb of the sentence. As you could see in Bieneke's example it is at its usual place in a sub-clause, i.e. at the end.

Your example: ...dat ik dat was aan het proberen te doen was.

This is a subordinate clause, too, so the verb (was) should be at the end. Besides, proberen needs te. But you made things difficult for yourself, for in sentences like this one we usually don't express the (te) doen part. So the usual way to say this would be: ...dat ik dat aan het proberen was. In a main clause it would be Ik was dat aan het proberen.

Met vriendelijke groeten,
Wim

[Kuroi]

Dear readers,

I was reading this discussion, and the thought came to me that often a way to say something can be grammatically correct, but still not the 'natural' way to say it.
In this case aan het X-en corresponds to English 'to be X-ing', but the two are used in different situations.
In English it's quite normal to use 'to be X-ing' with the verb 'to try'. So you could have the following conversation:

'What are you doing?'
'I'm trying to fix the car.'

Somehow the verb proberen doesn't seem to lend itself for the aan het X-en form.

Wat ben je aan het doen?
Ik probeer de auto te repareren.

Somehow this sounds funny to me:
Ik ben aan het proberen, de auto te repareren.

What do you all think of this?

Greets,
Kuroi

[Bieneke]

There is never a one-to-one relation between two languages and you just gave us a good example of that.

Ik ben aan het proberen de auto te repareren.

I think we generally avoid combinations of the aan het continuous + other verbs (in your example 'proberen'), especially when the other verb has the form of te + infinitive. Although it is technically correct, we would generally opt for the shorter simple present (as you pointed out).

Groetjes,

[eastcity]

So.. if your are using aan + het + noun (and not verb), then for inseperable verbs is it the stem rather than the full form that you use as noun?

Ik ben aan het verblijf

[LaPingvino]

No, it has to be:

Ik ben aan het verblijven.

[Wim]

Yet, this isn't really possible, as the verb should be a verb expressing a real action, like ik ben aan het schrijven, or ik ben aan het opbellen. The verb verblijven ('to stay, to remain') can't be used in this way. By the way, verblijven isn't separable either. Opbellen is.

You should realize that in the construction aan het <verb> zijn the verb infinitve is used as an noun, but it shoud be a verb in the first place. Replacing the verb by a 'real' noun isn't possible.

Groeten,
Wim

[Angel]

Hello! I'm new here i've just started learning Dutch and I have a problem. I don't know what the difference is between the 2 continuous tenses or when to use them
I'd be glad if you could help me... THX

[Bieneke]

Hoi Angel,

The two types of continuous are interchangeable.

E.g. "Ik zit te lezen" and "Ik ben aan het lezen" mean exactly the same (I am reading).

If you want to indicate the position you are in while you are engaged in something, you opt voor de (hangen)/liggen/lopen/staan/zitten construction.

Groetjes,

[Angel]

Thanks a lot for your help I guess I'll have more questions later
Have a nice day!