Breakdown of Ik beloof om de lijst met gasten door te geven.
ik
I
met
with
beloven
to promise
doorgeven
to pass on
te
to (infinitive marker)
om
in order to
de gast
the guest
de lijst
the list
Questions & Answers about Ik beloof om de lijst met gasten door te geven.
Why is te sandwiched in the middle of door te geven?
Doorgeven (to pass on) is a separable verb, made of the prefix door and the verb geven. When a separable verb is used with te, the te squeezes directly between the prefix and the verb, splitting it into three separate words: door te geven.
Why do we need the word om here?
The verb beloven (to promise) is often followed by an om ... te clause to explain what you are promising. While English just says "to pass on", Dutch uses om ... te to wrap around the rest of the sentence.
Why does door te geven go at the very end of the sentence?
That is the standard word order for om ... te clauses. The word om comes right after the main clause (Ik beloof), then all the objects and details (de lijst met gasten) go in the middle, and the te + infinitive (door te geven) is pushed to the very end.
Is it wrong to say de lijst van gasten for "the list of guests"?
It would sound unnatural. When talking about a list containing items or people, Dutch uses the preposition met (with). So, "the list of guests" becomes de lijst met gasten (literally: the list with guests).
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