Breakdown of Probeer je bewust te concentreren.
proberen
to try
te
to (infinitive marker)
zich concentreren
to concentrate
bewust
conscious
Questions & Answers about Probeer je bewust te concentreren.
Why is the reflexive pronoun je used here if there is no subject in the sentence?
This sentence is a command (imperative) directed at "you". The verb is zich concentreren (to concentrate oneself). Even though the subject "you" is only implied in a command, the reflexive pronoun in the te + infinitive clause must match it and become je.
Could I leave out je and just say Probeer bewust te concentreren?
No, you cannot leave it out. In Dutch, the verb for "to concentrate" is always reflexive: zich concentreren (literally "to concentrate oneself"). Without the reflexive pronoun je, the sentence is grammatically incorrect.
Why does je come right after probeer instead of right before te concentreren?
Pronouns like je prefer to sit as close to the main conjugated verb (probeer) as possible. Adverbs describing the action, like bewust (consciously), generally come after the pronouns and right before the te + infinitive block.
Why doesn't the word bewust have an extra ending to mean "consciously" instead of "conscious"?
Dutch uses the exact same word for the adjective (conscious) and the adverb (consciously). There is no direct equivalent to the English "-ly" ending, so bewust does the job for both.
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