Breakdown of We proberen een goede locatie uit te zoeken.
een
a/an
goed
good
proberen
to try
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
te
to (infinitive marker)
de locatie
the location
uitzoeken
to pick out / to figure out
Questions & Answers about We proberen een goede locatie uit te zoeken.
Why is 'te' placed in the middle of 'uit te zoeken'?
Uitzoeken (to pick out) is a separable verb, made of the prefix uit and the verb zoeken. When a separable verb is used in a te clause, the word te squeezes right between the prefix and the verb, splitting it into three separate words: uit te zoeken.
Why does 'een goede locatie' come before 'uit te zoeken'?
In Dutch, the verbs in a te clause must go at the very end of the sentence or clause. So the object (een goede locatie) comes first, followed by the verb structure (uit te zoeken).
We have seen 'om ... te' clauses. Why is there no 'om' in this sentence?
With the verb proberen (to try), the word om is optional. You can say We proberen een goede locatie uit te zoeken, but it is also perfectly fine to say We proberen om een goede locatie uit te zoeken. Both mean exactly the same thing.
Why does 'goede' get an -e added to the end here?
The noun locatie is a de word (de locatie). When an adjective comes before a de word, it almost always gets an -e at the end, even when it follows een (a or an).
What is the difference between 'zoeken' and 'uitzoeken'?
Zoeken simply means to look for or to search. Adding the prefix uit changes the meaning. Uitzoeken means to pick out, to select, or to figure out. Here, they are not just looking for a location, they are picking one out from their options.
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