Directing Others: Object Control
When you advise, persuade, or order someone to do something, the person you are influencing is the object of the main sentence, but the logical subject of the following action.
In Dutch, you connect this second action using an om ... te infinitive clause.
| We advise you to end the negotiation. | Wij adviseren u om de onderhandeling te beëindigen. |
Notice the structure: Main verb (adviseren) + Object (u) + om + [rest of clause] + te + Infinitive (beëindigen).
Negation in Infinitive Clauses
To convince someone not to do something, place the negative word (niet or geen) inside the om clause, before te and the infinitive.
| The negotiator persuades the man not to use violence. | De onderhandelaar overtuigt de man om geen geweld te gebruiken. |
| We urge him not to shoot. | Wij sporen hem aan om niet te schieten. |
Separable Verbs with "te"
When the second action is a separable verb, te is placed between the prefix and the verb root. They are written as separate words.
| The police order the perpetrators to release the hostage. | De politie beveelt de daders om de gijzelaar vrij te laten. |
Here, the prefix vrij and the root laten are separated by te, creating vrij te laten.
A Repertoire of Influence
This structure works with a variety of verbs used in high-stakes situations, such as smeken (to beg), opdragen (to order/instruct), and verbieden (to forbid).
| The boss forbids the detective from shooting. | De baas verbiedt de rechercheur om te schieten. |
Combining Actions
When you want the person to perform multiple actions, you only need to use om once at the beginning of the clause. You can link the actions with en, making sure each infinitive gets its own te.
| The negotiator advises the police to surround the building and to end the violence. | De onderhandelaar adviseert de politie om het gebouw te omsingelen en het geweld te beëindigen. |
