Breakdown of Ik kies de behandeling om mijn lichaam te laten masseren.
ik
I
mijn
my
kiezen
to choose
te
to (infinitive marker)
Questions & Answers about Ik kies de behandeling om mijn lichaam te laten masseren.
Why does the Dutch sentence use the dictionary form "masseren" instead of a past tense word for "massaged"?
In English, we say "to have something done" using a past tense word (massaged). In Dutch, the causative verb laten (to let / to have done) always pairs with the full infinitive of the action verb. So, laten masseren literally means "to let [someone] massage", which is the natural Dutch way to say "to have [it] massaged".
Why is "te" placed right before "laten" here?
This sentence uses the om ... te (in order to) structure. When the action at the end of the sentence is made up of two verbs (laten and masseren), they stick tightly together as a group. The word te always goes directly in front of that whole verb group, making it te laten masseren.
Can I change the verb order and say "te masseren laten"?
Generally, no. When using laten with another infinitive at the end of a clause, the helping verb (laten) almost always comes before the main action verb (masseren).
How do we know who is doing the massaging in this sentence?
We don't, and that is a common feature of this grammar structure! When you use laten with an object (mijn lichaam) but leave out the person doing the action, it implies you are having a service performed for you by an unnamed professional.