Breakdown of Het is moeilijk om dergelijke manuscripten te vertalen.
zijn
to be
het
it
moeilijk
difficult
te
to (infinitive marker)
om
in order to
vertalen
to translate
dergelijk
such / similar (of that kind) [dergelijke]
het manuscript
the manuscript
Questions & Answers about Het is moeilijk om dergelijke manuscripten te vertalen.
Why does dergelijk get an -e ending in this sentence?
Because it acts like a regular adjective modifying a plural noun (manuscripten). For plural nouns, categorical determiners like dergelijk (meaning 'such' or 'of that kind') take the standard -e ending, becoming dergelijke.
Does dergelijke mean exactly the same thing as zulke here?
Yes, dergelijke manuscripten and zulke manuscripten both translate to 'such manuscripts'. The main difference is tone: dergelijke is a bit more formal, which perfectly matches the academic context of translating old manuscripts.
Why do we use the om ... te construction here instead of just te?
After adjectives expressing an opinion, ease, or difficulty, like het is moeilijk (it is difficult), Dutch strongly prefers the om ... te structure to introduce the action. It clearly frames the rest of the clause as the specific task that is hard to do.
Why does te vertalen go at the very end of the sentence?
In an om ... te clause, the verb phrase (te vertalen) is always pushed to the very end. The direct object (dergelijke manuscripten) and any other details must be sandwiched between om and the te + infinitive.
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