Breakdown of Wij overtuigen hen om zonder de vluchtauto te vertrekken.
wij
we
vertrekken
to leave / to depart
hen
them (object)
te
to (infinitive marker)
om
in order to
zonder
without
overtuigen
to convince
de vluchtauto
the getaway car
Questions & Answers about Wij overtuigen hen om zonder de vluchtauto te vertrekken.
Who is the subject of vertrekken in this sentence, and how does the grammar show that?
The object of the main sentence, hen (them), is the one doing the leaving. This is called an object control clause. Verbs of persuading, advising, or ordering like overtuigen take an object that acts as the doer of the following om ... te infinitive clause.
Why do we use hen here instead of hun?
The verb overtuigen takes a direct object. In standard written Dutch, hen is used for direct objects, while hun is used for indirect objects when no preposition is present. Because the group of people is the direct target of the persuasion, hen is the correct form.
Why is zonder de vluchtauto placed between om and te vertrekken?
In an om ... te infinitive clause, om acts as the anchor at the beginning of the phrase, and te plus the infinitive verb (vertrekken) must be pushed to the very end. Any extra details, such as the prepositional phrase zonder de vluchtauto, get sandwiched between them.
Is overtuigen a separable verb? Because it starts with a preposition, I expected it to split.
No, overtuigen is an inseparable verb. While over- is often a separable prefix, in this specific verb it is fused to the stem. You can hear this in spoken Dutch because the stress falls on -tui- instead of over-. Therefore, it stays together as Wij overtuigen rather than splitting into 'tuigen over'.
Learn Wij overtuigen hen om zonder de vluchtauto te vertrekken 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