Breakdown of Vergeet niet de hond uit te laten!
niet
not
de hond
the dog
vergeten
to forget
te
to (infinitive marker)
uitlaten
to walk (a pet)
Questions & Answers about Vergeet niet de hond uit te laten!
Why is te placed right in the middle of uit te laten?
The verb for walking a dog is uitlaten, which is a separable verb made of the prefix uit and the verb laten. When a separable verb needs te (the equivalent of "to"), the te acts as a wedge and splits the word in two, sitting right in the middle.
Why do we need to use te here at all?
Just like in English, certain verbs require "to" before the next verb. In Dutch, vergeten (to forget) is a verb that requires te when followed by another action. You are reminding someone not to walk the dog.
Why doesn't the sentence start with a subject like jij (you)?
This sentence is an imperative (a command). When giving a command in Dutch, you drop the subject entirely and start with the verb, just like saying "Don't forget!" instead of "You don't forget!" in English.
Could I change the word order to Vergeet de hond niet uit te laten?
Yes, absolutely! Both word orders are perfectly fine in Dutch. Placing niet right after vergeet emphasizes the command "do not forget!", while placing it after the object (de hond) is also a very standard and natural way to structure the sentence.
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