Breakdown of Zij is naar de pinautomaat gelopen om te pinnen.
zijn
to be
zij
she
lopen
to walk
naar
to
te
to (infinitive marker)
om
in order to
de pinautomaat
the ATM
pinnen
to pay by card / to withdraw money
Questions & Answers about Zij is naar de pinautomaat gelopen om te pinnen.
Why does the sentence use is (Zij is ... gelopen) instead of heeft?
Why do we use om te pinnen here instead of just voor pinnen to mean "for withdrawing"?
In Dutch, when you want to express "in order to" do an action, you must use the structure om te + the infinitive verb. You cannot use the preposition voor directly with a verb to show purpose, even though it feels natural in English to say "for withdrawing".
Does the verb pinnen always mean withdrawing money from an ATM?
Not always! It literally refers to using a bank card with a PIN code. In the context of a pinautomaat (ATM), it means withdrawing cash. However, if you are at a checkout in a supermarket and they ask "Wilt u pinnen?", they are simply asking if you want to pay by card.
Why does the past participle gelopen end in -en rather than having a -t or -d ending?
This is a quick reminder about irregular verbs! Lopen is a strong verb. Instead of following the standard rule for weak verbs (which get a -t or -d ending based on the consonant), its past participle gets the ge- prefix but keeps the -en ending.
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