Some verbs have the word er permanently built into them.
Looking Good: eruitzien
To describe how someone looks, use the separable verb eruitzien (to look / to appear).
| to look (like) | eruitzien |
In a main clause, the conjugated verb (zien) takes the standard second position. The word er sits after the subject, and the prefix uit goes to the end of the clause. Adjectives usually go between er and uit.
| You look very well-groomed today. | Je ziet er vandaag heel verzorgd uit. |
If nothing separates them, er and uit join together as eruit.
| How do I look with this new hairstyle? | Hoe zie ik eruit met dit nieuwe kapsel? |
What Matters: ertoe doen
The verb ertoe doen (to matter) behaves the same way. It splits into the conjugated verb doen, er (after the subject), and the prefix toe (at the end of the clause).
| to matter | ertoe doen |
| To me, appearance does not matter. | Voor mij doet het uiterlijk er niet toe. |
Subordinate Clauses and Infinitives
When grammar pushes the verb to the end of the clause—such as in a subordinate clause or with a modal verb—the prefix and the verb recombine (toe doen, uitzien).
The er stays earlier in the sentence, often separated from the verb by adverbs or adjectives.
| It is the inner character that really matters. | Het is het innerlijk dat er echt toe doet. |
| I wanted to look well-groomed yesterday, because appearance is important. | Ik wilde er gisteren verzorgd uitzien, want het uiterlijk is belangrijk. |
If no words separate them, er attaches directly to the prefix.
| Do you know that only the inner character matters? | Weet je dat alleen het innerlijk ertoe doet? |