Short de duurvorm Dutch Continuous / Progresssive

from the 100% free Hear Dutch Here Website — more verbs

— Liggen, zitten, staan, lopen —
De Duurvorm - A Dutch Continuous/Progressive - Short

The English continuous, indicating ongoing activities, action in progress, is often translated into Dutch just as a simple present, for instance:

It is raining	't Regent 2 3 4
I'm painting the house	Ik verf het huis
I'm looking for a room (to rent)	Ik zoek een kamer 2

Dutch has other ways to express action in progress, but they're not as common as the English Continuous, and more limited in use, only used for people, and not for all verbs.


ik lig te lezen	I'm reading
We zitten te eten	We're eating, we're having [food] dinner (or lunch)
We staan te wachten op een taxi 2 3	We're waiting for a taxi.
Er loopt een dronken man te schreeuwen 2	There's a drunk guy shouting

To describe an action in progress, Dutch can use the verbs: 'zitten'

(to sit, to be seated), 'liggen'

2 (to lie, be lying down), 'staan'

(to stand, to be standing) or 'lopen'

2 (to walk) with te

and a verb infinitive.
There is not always an activity involved like the zitten etc. verbs usually indicate. For instance, I don't have to be sitting down when I say:
Ik zat te wachten op een telefoontje

I was waiting for a phone call, I was expecting a phone call Or also: Ze zit erop te wachten

2 3 She's waiting for it - she expects or needs it soon Hij zit te zwammen.

He's talking nonsense. Hij ligt te etteren.

2 He's engaging in provocative, useless talk or actions, making a nuisance of himself - obnoxious, being a pest (probably not lying down while doing that)

Full Chapter
shorts home		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		12		13

'Thou shalt not steal'