Word
Het is belangrijk om goed gedrag te belonen.
Meaning
It is important to reward good behavior.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Het is belangrijk om goed gedrag te belonen.
Why doesn't this sentence use er plus a preposition before the om... te clause like other sentences in this lesson?
The lesson focuses on verbs or adjectives that naturally require a preposition, like houden van (to love). The adjective belangrijk (important) doesn't take a preposition in Dutch. Just like in English, you simply say 'It is important to...' (Het is belangrijk om...). Because there is no preposition to anticipate, you use het as a placeholder instead of an er-combination.
Why do we need the word om here?
In Dutch, the om ... te structure is used to link an infinitive verb (like belonen) to a main clause, especially when expressing a purpose or making a general statement. While te sits right before the verb at the end, om acts as a bridge at the start of that part of the sentence.
Why is it goed gedrag and not goede gedrag?
Gedrag is a het-word (neuter noun). When a het-word is used without a specific article like het, dit, or dat before it, the adjective drops the -e ending. If the sentence said 'the good behavior', it would be het goede gedrag.
Why is belonen at the very end of the sentence?