When two events occur simultaneously in French, the gerund (le gérondif) comes into play.

In Dutch, we use the present participle: ‘Ik kwam lopend aan.’ In French, this is translated as ‘Je suis arrivé(e) en marchant.’

You can see that the gerund consists of “en” before the verb + “ant” at the end. Time for some example sentences!

The dog runs through the park barking.
>> Le chien court en aboyant dans le parc.

She reads the book smiling.
>> Elle lit le livre en souriant.

However, in Dutch, the present participle is not always used when two events occur simultaneously, whereas in French, the gerund is used.

While listening to the music, she dances.
>> En écoutant la musique, elle danse.

The chef prepares the meal while whistling.
>> Le cuisinier prépare le repas en sifflant.

How do you translate:
– You can rest while reading a book.
– I saw Martin while I was buying apples.
– The people drinking and dancing in the bar.

You can read our previous explanation of the gerund here. There you will also find the translation of the three sentences above.