Breakdown of Zonder de lont te zien, probeerde hij het rotje af te steken.
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
zien
to see
proberen
to try
te
to (infinitive marker)
Questions & Answers about Zonder de lont te zien, probeerde hij het rotje af te steken.
How does the 'zonder ... te' structure translate to 'without seeing'?
In Dutch, to say 'without doing [something]', you use zonder + [objects] + te + [infinitive verb]. Unlike English, which uses the '-ing' form ('without seeing'), Dutch requires the full infinitive verb at the end of the clause, preceded by te.
Why is the word order probeerde hij instead of hij probeerde?
Why is te placed in the middle of af te steken?
The verb for 'to set off' or 'to ignite' is afsteken, which is a separable verb (prefix af + base verb steken). When an infinitive separable verb requires te, the te is always placed between the prefix and the base verb, and they are written as three separate words.
Is rotje a diminutive, and can I just say rot for firecracker?
Het rotje is indeed a diminutive, but it has become the standard word for 'firecracker'. You cannot use the base noun de rot for this, as that means 'rot' or 'decay'. Always keep the -je when talking about fireworks!