Learn Dutch: Wij lezen een boek in plaats van op deze app te scrollen. - We read a book instead of scrolling on this app.

In plaats van means "instead of". In Dutch, when you use in plaats van with an action, the word te and the infinitive verb (scrollen) are pushed to the very end of the clause. Any other details, like op deze app, are sandwiched in the middle.

Why doesn't 'te' come directly after 'in plaats van'?

In Dutch prepositional clauses (like door... te, zonder... te, and in plaats van... te), te must stay glued to the infinitive verb at the end. You cannot say in plaats van te op deze app scrollen.

Is 'scrollen' a real Dutch verb?

Yes! Dutch adopts many English technology terms. Scrollen behaves exactly like a standard regular Dutch verb. Here, it is in its full infinitive form because it is part of the te + infinitive structure.

Why is it 'deze app' instead of 'dit app'?

Almost all new English loanwords in Dutch become de-words, making it de app. Because it is a de-word, we use the demonstrative pronoun deze (this) rather than dit.