Breakdown of Zij smeekte hem om de huur te betalen.
zij
she
betalen
to pay
hem
him
de huur
the rent
te
to (infinitive marker)
om
in order to
smeken
to beg
Questions & Answers about Zij smeekte hem om de huur te betalen.
Why do we use om ... te in this sentence instead of just te?
When reporting a command, request, or plea, Dutch uses the om ... te + infinitive structure. With a reporting verb like smeken (to beg), the om connects the person being asked (hem) to the action they need to do (de huur te betalen).
Why does de huur go between om and te betalen?
In an om ... te phrase, the word om acts as an introductory word and goes first, while te + the infinitive verb always go at the very end of the phrase. Any objects or extra information, like de huur (the rent), get sandwiched in between them.
What is the dictionary form of smeekte, and why does it end in -te?
The infinitive is smeken (to beg). It is a regular weak verb. Because the stem (smeek) ends in a 'k', which is one of the consonants in the 't kofschip rule, it takes the -te ending in the simple past tense rather than -de.
Could I report this request using a dat (that) clause instead?
Yes, you could technically say Zij smeekte hem dat hij de huur zou betalen (She begged him that he would pay the rent). However, because the person doing the paying is already the object of the first clause (hem), using the om ... te structure is much more natural and concise.
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