is besig om te

In the Middle of Doing: Besig Om Te

Level 2

To stress that something is in progress, use is besig om te + verb: Ek is besig om te kook. (I am cooking right now.)

How It Works

1. The pattern. is + besig (busy) + om + object and other details + te + infinitive:

  • Ek is besig om te kook. (I am cooking.)
  • Hulle is besig om die huis te verf. (They are painting the house.)

2. It is optional. The plain present tense can also describe what is happening now: Ek kook means I cook or I am cooking. Use besig om te when you want to make clear that you are in the middle of it, for example to explain why you cannot do something else.

3. Not only people. Things and processes can also be besig om te: Die ys is besig om te smelt. (The ice is melting.)

4. In the past. Change is to was: Ek was besig om te eet toe jy gebel het. (I was eating when you called.)

5. Separable verbs. Te goes between the prefix and the verb (see te inside separable verbs): Sy is besig om aan te trek. (She is getting dressed.)

Tip: With a noun instead of a verb, use besig met: Ek is besig met my huiswerk. (I am busy with my homework.) On its own, Ek is besig simply means I am busy.

Examples (6)

  1. Ek is besig om te kook.

    I am cooking.

    Word by Word: I am busy to cook.

  2. Hulle is besig om die huis te verf.

    They are painting the house.

    Word by Word: They are busy to the house to paint.

    The object die huis goes between om and te.

  3. Wat is jy besig om te doen?

    What are you doing?

    Word by Word: What are you busy to do?

  4. Die ys is besig om te smelt.

    The ice is melting.

    Word by Word: The ice is busy to melt.

    Besig om te also describes things that are changing.

  5. Ek was besig om te eet toe jy gebel het.

    I was eating when you called.

    Word by Word: I was busy to eat when you called have.

    Was makes the whole pattern past.

  6. Sy is besig om aan te trek.

    She is getting dressed.

    Word by Word: She is busy to on to pull.

    Aantrek is a separable verb, so te goes between aan and trek.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out te.

    Ek is besig om kook.
    Ek is besig om te kook.

    The infinitive after besig om always needs te right before it.

  • Putting the object after the infinitive, as in English.

    Hulle is besig om te verf die huis.
    Hulle is besig om die huis te verf.

    The object goes between om and te, and te + infinitive comes last.

  • Copying the English -ing form with is + verb.

    Ek is kook.
    Ek kook. / Ek is besig om te kook.

    Afrikaans has no is + verb form for actions in progress. Use the plain present or is besig om te.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

is besig om teLevel 2In the Middle of Doing: Besig Om Te

Learn This First

Is besig om te describes an action in progress, built on is.

Words in This Pattern

besigom teomte