Separable Verbs in Infinitive Clauses
When planning an event, you will often use verbs like proberen (to try), beginnen (to start), or vergeten (to forget). These link to a second action using te + the infinitive.
When this second action is a separable verb, te slips directly between the prefix and the core verb. They are written as three distinct words. For instance, uitzoeken (to pick out) becomes uit te zoeken.
| We are trying to pick out a good location. | We proberen een goede locatie uit te zoeken. |
| They are starting to clean the location. | Zij beginnen de locatie schoon te maken. |
| He is forgetting to set up the chairs for the event. | Hij vergeet de stoelen voor het evenement klaar te zetten. |
Purpose and Goals with 'om ... te'
This exact same word order applies to om ... te clauses. You can use these clauses to express purpose ("in order to"), or to link actions after phrases like ik beloof (I promise) and het is belangrijk (it is important).
The clause starts with om, lists any objects or details (like the guest list or the budget), and ends with the separable verb split by te.
| It is fun to prepare that event. | Het is leuk om dat evenement voor te bereiden. |
| We must not forget to invite the guests. | We moeten niet vergeten om de gasten uit te nodigen. |
| We have enough time to meet there. | We hebben voldoende tijd om er af te spreken. |
| I am asking the colleagues to help out. | Ik vraag de collega's om mee te helpen. |
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io
