Learn Dutch: Dit is de beste lepel om de pompoen mee uit te hollen. - This is the best spoon to hollow the pumpkin out with.

This sentence uses an attributive prepositional infinitive to describe the noun (de beste lepel). The structure is om + [object] + [stranded preposition] + te + [infinitive]. It connects the spoon to the action you perform with it.

Why is the word 'mee' used instead of 'met'?

The preposition translates to 'with', referring back to the spoon. In these infinitive constructions, the preposition is stranded at the end of the clause before the verbs. When met is stranded without a following noun, it always transforms into mee.

Why is 'te' placed in the middle of 'uit te hollen'?

The verb uithollen (to hollow out) is a separable verb, made up of the prefix uit and the verb hollen. When a separable verb is used in a te + infinitive structure, the te is always sandwiched between the prefix and the main verb.

Why does 'de pompoen' come before the preposition 'mee'?

Inside an om ... te clause, the standard Dutch word order applies. The direct object (de pompoen) comes right after om, pushing the stranded preposition (mee) and the verb cluster (uit te hollen) all the way to the end of the clause.