Breakdown of Zij droeg hem op om de boodschappen te halen.
zij
she
de boodschappen
the groceries
halen
to fetch / to get
hem
him
Questions & Answers about Zij droeg hem op om de boodschappen te halen.
Where does the verb droeg ... op come from?
It comes from the separable verb opdragen, which means to instruct, command, or assign a task to someone. Because this is a main clause in the past tense, the verb splits. The core verb droeg takes the second position, and the prefix op goes to the end of that clause.
How does this sentence structure a reported command?
In Dutch, reported commands and requests often use an om ... te plus infinitive structure. Just like in English where we say 'instructed him TO GET', Dutch uses om at the beginning of the action clause and te halen at the very end.
Why is the prefix op placed right before om?
The prefix of a separable verb goes to the end of its own clause. The main clause here is Zij droeg hem op. The om ... te part starts a brand new clause, so the prefix op must come right before the word om.
English speakers often learn that 'to get' is krijgen. Why do we use halen here?
In English, 'to get' can mean either to receive or to fetch. In Dutch, krijgen only means to receive something. Since he is being instructed to actively go and fetch the groceries, you must use halen.