Breakdown of Het is onwerkelijk om hier rond te lopen.
zijn
to be
hier
here
het
it
te
to (infinitive marker)
om
in order to
onwerkelijk
unreal
rondlopen
to walk around
Questions & Answers about Het is onwerkelijk om hier rond te lopen.
Why is te placed right in the middle of rondlopen?
Rondlopen (to walk around) is a separable verb. When you use a separable verb with te, the te goes between the prefix (rond) and the main verb (lopen). They are written as three separate words: rond te lopen.
Why do we use om at the beginning of the second part of the sentence?
The combination om ... te is used to mean "to" or "in order to". Whenever you use a sentence structure like Het is [adjective]... (It is [adjective]...), the action that follows uses om at the start of the clause and te right before the verb at the end.
Could I put hier at the very end of the sentence, like in English?
No, you cannot say om rond te lopen hier. An om ... te clause acts like a subordinate clause in Dutch, which means all the verbs get pushed to the very end. Therefore, hier (here) has to come before the verbs rond te lopen.
What is the difference between onwerkelijk and nep?
While both might seem similar to "fake" or "unreal", nep is used for things that are physically counterfeit or artificial. Onwerkelijk means surreal, unbelievable, or dream-like, which is exactly how a breathtaking or strange place might feel to walk around in.
Learn Het is onwerkelijk om hier rond te lopen and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free