Master the Continuous Aspect (Zitten te...)
High frequency spoken form for duration.
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How it works
Continuous Aspect: Don't just "be", DO something!
In English, we say: "I am working." In Dutch, saying "Ik ben werkend" sounds like a robot. 🤖
Dutch people like to visualize body language. To express that you are doing something right now, you use a "Posture Verb" + te + Infinitive.
The Big 3 Postures
- Zitten (To sit): For mental tasks or sedentary things.
- Ik zit te denken. (I am thinking / sitting and thinking.)
- Hij zit te gamen. (He is gaming.)
- Staan (To stand): For upright tasks.
- Zij staat te koken. (She is cooking / standing and cooking.)
- Wij staan te wachten. (We are waiting.)
- Liggen (To lie): For horizontal tasks.
- Ik lig te slapen. (I am sleeping.)
- Hij ligt tv te kijken on de bank. (He is watching TV on the couch.)
The "Busy" Variant
If the posture isn't relevant, you can use:
- Zijn aan het... (To be at the...)
- Ik ben aan het werken. (I am working / I am at the working.)
Formula
[Subject] + [Posture Verb] + [Rest] + te + [Infinitive]
Pro Tip 💡
Use zitten te... for annoying habits!
- Zit niet te zeuren! (Don't be nagging / Quit nagging!)
- Hij zit te appen. (He is texting.)
Example Sentences
Wij zitten tv te kijken.
We are sitting watching TV.
Wij zitten de documenten te bekijken voor de deal.
We are sitting and viewing the documents for the deal.
We zitten te wachten op de bus in deze regio.
We are sitting and waiting for the bus in this region.
De kinderen zitten te spelen met vilt bij de rots.
The children are sitting playing with felt by the rock.
Wij zitten te wachten op de arts die de radio aanzet.
We are sitting and waiting for the doctor who turns on the radio.