Breakdown of De baas verbiedt de rechercheur om te schieten.
de baas
the boss
te
to (infinitive marker)
om
in order to
de rechercheur
the detective
Questions & Answers about De baas verbiedt de rechercheur om te schieten.
How do we know who is supposed to shoot (or not shoot) in this sentence?
This sentence uses an "object control" structure. The verb verbieden (to forbid) takes an object, which is de rechercheur (the detective). Even though de baas (the boss) is the subject of the main sentence, the object is the one who acts as the "doer" of the infinitive verb schieten (to shoot).
Why does Dutch use om te schieten when English says "from shooting"?
English often uses a preposition plus an "-ing" word (a gerund) for verbs of forbidding or preventing, but Dutch does not. Verbs of ordering, advising, and forbidding like verbieden simply connect to a new infinitive clause using te or om te plus the whole verb.
Is the word om mandatory here? Could I just say ...de rechercheur te schieten?
The word om is optional here. You can perfectly say De baas verbiedt de rechercheur te schieten. However, adding om is very common in spoken Dutch because it creates a clear bridge between the main verb and the infinitive clause.
Does rechercheur mean the exact same thing as the English word "detective"?