Receiving information with "krijgen te"
In Dutch, when someone gives you information or shows you something, you often use the verb krijgen (to get) paired with te and an infinitive. It is the standard way to express that you "are told" or "are shown" something.
Being told: krijgen te horen
Use krijgen te horen to express that you are being informed or instructed.
When what you are being told is a full subclause (often starting with a question word like hoe, waarom, or welke), this clause is placed directly after te horen.
| We get to hear how we should observe inconspicuously. | Wij krijgen te horen hoe we onopvallend moeten observeren. |
| You get to hear why you must pretend to be a normal customer. | Je krijgt te horen waarom je je als een normale klant moet voordoen. |
Being shown: krijgen te zien
Similarly, use krijgen te zien to express that you are being shown something.
When you are shown a specific noun (a direct object) rather than a full subclause, this object must be placed between the conjugated krijgen and te zien.
| You will get to see the working method of the new branch. | Jullie krijgen de werkwijze van de nieuwe vestiging te zien. |
| At the register you get to see the receipt. | Bij de kassa krijg je de bon te zien. |
Objects vs. Subclauses
To summarize the word order rules: direct objects split the verbs, while subclauses follow them at the end of the sentence.
Here is an example with a direct object splitting the phrase:
| When do we get to hear the findings about the customer friendliness? | Wanneer krijgen wij de bevindingen over de klantvriendelijkheid te horen? |
And here is an example demonstrating a subclause following the verb phrase:
| I get to see how the customer pays at the retail chain. | Ik krijg te zien hoe de klant afrekent bij de winkelketen. |
