Breakdown of Probeer de ontwikkeling van het team te begeleiden.
proberen
to try
het team
the team
van
from (possession, starting point) / made of
te
to (infinitive marker)
Questions & Answers about Probeer de ontwikkeling van het team te begeleiden.
How exactly is ontwikkeling formed from the verb ontwikkelen?
To turn a verb into a noun describing the action, you take the verb stem (ontwikkel) and add the suffix -ing. You do not use the full infinitive, which is why the word is not ontwikkelening.
Why is the word ontwikkeling a de word? Is that a strict rule?
Yes! Any noun formed by adding the suffix -ing to a verb stem is always a de word. This makes the gender of these nominalized actions completely predictable.
Why are Probeer and te begeleiden separated by the rest of the sentence?
In Dutch, a te + infinitive construction often wraps around its objects. Probeer is the main verb in the imperative (command) form, and its target is the phrase de ontwikkeling van het team. The te begeleiden is pushed to the very end of the sentence, which is the standard Dutch word order.
Could I use leiden instead of begeleiden for a team?
You could, but it changes the nuance. Leiden means strictly to lead or to direct, whereas begeleiden implies coaching, mentoring, or actively supporting the team through its development.