Questions & Answers about Ik probeer grotere doelen te behalen dan jij.
Why do we need te before behalen in this sentence?
The verb proberen (to try) is one of a specific group of verbs that require te before the infinitive of the second verb. Just like in English where you say "I try to achieve", in Dutch you say Ik probeer ... te behalen.
Why does dan jij come after the verb behalen? Don't verbs usually go at the very end?
You are right that Dutch usually pushes the infinitive verb to the end of the clause. However, comparisons starting with dan (than) are a common exception. They are often placed after the final verb so the middle of the sentence doesn't get too crowded. Saying Ik probeer grotere doelen dan jij te behalen is also grammatically correct, but placing dan jij at the end sounds more natural.
Why is it grotere and not just groter (bigger)?
Groter is the comparative form of groot (big). When an adjective is placed directly before a plural noun like doelen (goals), it gets an extra -e at the end. Also notice the spelling change: we drop one 'o' from the root word groot to keep the vowel sound long in grotere.
Could I use je instead of jij at the end?