Breakdown of We beginnen het cadeau uit te pakken.
beginnen
to begin
het cadeau
the gift
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
te
to (infinitive marker)
Questions & Answers about We beginnen het cadeau uit te pakken.
Why is te placed in the middle of uitpakken?
Uitpakken (to unwrap) is a separable verb, made of the prefix uit and the root verb pakken. When a separable verb is used with te (to), the te goes right between the prefix and the verb. This splits it into three separate words: uit te pakken.
Why do we need te here at all?
Just like in English where you say 'starting to unwrap', the Dutch verb beginnen (to start) is one of several verbs that require te before the infinitive verb that follows it.
Why doesn't the Dutch sentence use a continuous form for 'are starting'?
In Dutch, the simple present tense (We beginnen) is very often used to express what English does with the present continuous ('We are starting'). Using the continuous aan het structure sounds unnatural with verbs that describe a quick change of state, like starting or stopping.
Why does het cadeau come before the action of unwrapping it?
In Dutch, the direct object (het cadeau) comes before the te + infinitive part of the sentence. A word-for-word translation would be: 'We start the gift out to pack.'