Breakdown of Het is te druk bij de ingang om elkaar te vinden.
zijn
to be
vinden
to find
te
too
het
it
bij
at / near / by
druk
busy / crowded
elkaar
each other
te
to (infinitive marker)
om
in order to
de ingang
the entrance
Questions & Answers about Het is te druk bij de ingang om elkaar te vinden.
How does the te ... om ... te structure work in this sentence?
This structure means "too [adjective] to [do something]". First, we have te druk (too busy). Then, the consequence is introduced with om, followed by any extra details (like elkaar), and finally te vinden (to find) at the very end.
Why does bij de ingang come before the om ... te part?
The first part of the sentence is a complete main clause: Het is te druk bij de ingang (It is too busy at the entrance). The om ... te phrase acts as a separate sub-clause that gets added at the very end of the sentence to explain the consequence.
Why do we use the preposition bij here?
In Dutch, bij is used to mean "at" or "by" when referring to a specific point or location like a door, an entrance, or a desk. It implies you are waiting right at that spot.
Where does the word elkaar (each other) go inside the om ... te phrase?
In an om ... te clause, the object (elkaar) gets sandwiched in the middle. You start with om, add the object, and always end with te plus the full infinitive verb (vinden).
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