Learn how to ask and answer the question, "What are you doing?"
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| Jessi: Top 25 Dutch Questions You Need to Know - Lesson 18: What are you doing? in Dutch (In each lesson of this 25 part series, you'll master a common question for Dutch learners and then how to answer it like a native you'll learn how these key phrases work by breaking them down into each component. Then the repetition and new vocabulary will expand your understanding of the question its answers any variations. You also improve pronunciation and fluency by repeating the words and phrases out loud after hearing them. |
| In this lesson, you'll learn how to respond to the common question What are you doing? In Dutch this is |
| Jacob: Wat bent u aan het doen? |
| The first word in the question What are you doing? is |
| Jacob: wat |
| Jessi: meaning what in English. |
| Jacob: (Listen to it syllable by syllable) wat |
| Jessi: Again at natural speed please repeat. |
| Jacob: wat |
| {Pause} |
| Jessi: This pattern of first introducing a word at natural speed, providing the English translation, breaking it down by syllable, and then giving it once more natural speed will be repeated throughout the series. Try to speak aloud as often as possible. |
| The next word in the question What are you doing? is |
| Jacob: bent |
| Jessi: meaning are in English. |
| Jacob: (Listen to it syllable by syllable) bent |
| Jessi: Again at natural speed repeat. |
| Jacob: bent |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the the first 2 words of the question together and repeat. |
| Jacob: wat bent |
| {pause} |
| And after that |
| Jacob: u |
| Jessi: meaning you in English. |
| Jacob: (Listen to it syllable by syllable) u |
| Jessi: Again at natural speed repeat. |
| Jacob: u |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the the first 3 words of the question together and repeat. |
| Jacob: wat bent u |
| {pause} |
| And after that |
| Jacob: aan |
| Jessi: meaning on in English. |
| Jacob: (Listen to it syllable by syllable) aan |
| Jessi: Again at natural speed repeat. |
| Jacob: aan |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the the first 4 words of the question together and repeat. |
| Jacob: wat bent u aan |
| {pause} |
| And next is |
| Jacob: het |
| Jessi: meaning it in English. |
| Jacob: (Listen to it syllable by syllable) het |
| Jessi: Again at natural speed repeat. |
| Jacob: het |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the first 5 words of the question and repeat. |
| Jacob: wat bent u aan het |
| {pause} |
| Next is |
| Jacob: doen |
| Jessi: meaning doing in English. |
| Jacob: (Listen to it syllable by syllable) doen |
| Jessi: Again at natural speed repeat. |
| Jacob: doen |
| {Pause} |
| Now Listen to the entire question and repeat. |
| Jacob: wat bent u aan het doen |
| {pause} |
| Jessi: (You will hear this common question again and again throughout your studies.) Master the following pattern and responses to the question What are you doing?? |
| Jacob: Ik ben aan het denken. |
| Jessi: "I'm just thinking.. Again, slowly. Repeat the phrase. |
| Jacob: (Slow) Ik ben aan het denken. |
| {pause} |
| Jessi: Let's break it down from the beginning. The first word: |
| Jacob: ik |
| Jessi: means I. |
| Jacob: (Listen to it syllable by syllable) ik |
| Jessi: Again at natural speed repeat. |
| Jacob: ik |
| {Pause} |
| Jessi: And next |
| Jacob: ben |
| meaning am. |
| Jacob: (Listen to it syllable by syllable) ben |
| A: Again at natural speed repeat. |
| Jacob: ben |
| {Pause} |
| Jessi: And after that |
| Jacob: aan |
| meaning on. |
| Jacob: (Listen to it syllable by syllable) aan |
| A: Again at natural speed repeat. |
| Jacob: aan |
| {Pause} |
| Jessi: And next |
| Jacob: het |
| meaning it. |
| Jacob: (Listen to it syllable by syllable) het |
| A: Again at natural speed repeat. |
| Jacob: het |
| {Pause} |
| Jessi: And after that |
| Jacob: denken |
| meaning thinking. |
| Jacob: (Listen to it syllable by syllable) denken |
| A: Again at natural speed repeat. |
| Jacob: denken |
| {Pause} |
| Jessi: Listen to the speaker say, I'm thinking., and repeat. |
| Jacob: Ik ben aan het denken. |
| {pause} |
| Jessi: To expand on the pattern, replace thinking with studying. |
| Jacob: studeren |
| Jessi: studying |
| Jacob: (slow) studeren (regular) studeren |
| Jessi: Listen to the phrase again, this time with studying |
| Jacob: Ik ben aan het studeren. |
| Jessi: The First part stays the same. Simply replace thinking. Say I'm just studying. |
| {pause} |
| Jacob: Ik ben aan het studeren. |
| Jessi: To expand on the pattern, replace studying with traveling. |
| Jacob: reizen |
| Jessi: traveling |
| Jacob: (slow) reizen (regular) reizen |
| Jessi: Listen to the phrase again, this time with traveling |
| Jacob: Ik ben aan het reizen. |
| Jessi: The Firs part stays the same. Simply replace the word for studying. Say I'm just traveling. |
| {pause} |
| Jacob: Ik ben aan het reizen. |
| Jessi: To use a different Phrase, replace traveling with cooking. |
| Jacob: koken |
| Jessi: cooking |
| Jacob: (slow) koken (regular) koken |
| Jessi: Listen to the phrase again, this time with cooking |
| Jacob: Ik ben aan het koken. |
| Jessi: The first part stays the same. Simply replace the word for traveling. Say I'm just cooking. |
| {pause} |
| Jacob: Ik ben aan het koken. |
| Now it's time for a quiz. Imagine you are visiting the Netherlands and someone asks you what you're doing. You are thinking. Respond to the question. |
| Jacob: Wat bent u aan het doen? (five seconds) Ik ben aan het denken. |
| Jessi: Now imagine you are studying Respond to the question. |
| Jacob: Wat bent u aan het doen? (five seconds) Ik ben aan het studeren. |
| Jessi: Imagine you are traveling. . Answer the speaker's question. |
| Jacob: Wat bent u aan het doen? (five seconds) Ik ben aan het reizen. |
| Jessi: Imagine you're cooking. Respond to the question. |
| Jacob: Wat bent u aan het doen? (five seconds) Ik ben aan het koken. |
| Jessi: You want to know what someone else is doing. Ask the question |
| (5 seconds) |
| Jacob: Wat bent u aan het doen? |
| {pause} |
| Jessi: This is the end of Lesson 18. |
Comments
HideHello listners,
What are you doing now? Please let us know in Dutch.
Hoi Mali,
Nice Dutch sentence there! well done 😇
Ik ben Nederlands aan het studeren. ( no need for "de)
Jacob,
Team DutchPod101.com
Ik ben de Nederlands aan het studeren..
Hey Cheryll,
Heel graag gedaan !
Jacob,
Team DutchPod101.com
Hoi jacob!
Zeer bedankt!
Hey Cheryll,
Dat klinkt goed ! Heel veel succes !!
Jacob,
Team DutchPod101.com
Ik wil Nederlands leren, want ik ga in Nederland wonen met mijn man. :)
Hallo Cheryll,
Thank you for your reaction.
Waarom wil je Nederlands leren ?
Jacob,
Team DutchPod101.com
Ik studeer Nederlands taal.
Hi Benit,
Thank you for pointing that out!
The audio was added! Let us know if you have questions :)
Sincerely,
Laura
Team DutchPod101.com
Ik ben aan het spelen met mijn kind.
Hi,
In the expansion section "Ik ben aan het lezen" is voiced as "Ik ben aan het koken".
Regards
Hoi Jasmine,
Thank you for your comment. Nice one but be careful because you can not use 'aan' in combination with a noun. So ' ik ben aan de computer' and 'is not correct. You could say something like:
Ik ben de computer aan het gebruiken
Succes!
Jacob,
Team DutchPod101.com
ik ben aan het slapen, ik nen aan het lezen, ik ben aan het computer, ik ben aan het wassen, ik ben aan het de afwas doen, ik ben aan het schoon maken
Ik ben aan het werken.