Breakdown of Heb jij iets om de kaars mee aan te steken?
jij
you
hebben
to have
iets
something
te
to (infinitive marker)
Questions & Answers about Heb jij iets om de kaars mee aan te steken?
Why is the word mee used here instead of met?
In English, you say "something to light the candle with". In Dutch, because the preposition refers back to the pronoun iets (something), it must take its pronominal adverb form. For the preposition met, this form is always mee.
What is the rule for where to place mee in this sentence?
In an om ... te infinitive clause, the stranded preposition (like mee) is pushed towards the end of the clause, landing right before the te + infinitive. Notice how the direct object (de kaars) comes before it.
Why is aan te steken written as three separate words?
Aansteken (to light or ignite) is a separable verb. In any structure that requires te plus an infinitive, the word te is sandwiched between the separable prefix (aan) and the base verb (steken).
Does this sentence structure only work with indefinite pronouns like iets?
No, it works perfectly with regular nouns too! If you wanted to ask for a specific object, like a match (een lucifer), you would use the exact same structure: Heb jij een lucifer om de kaars mee aan te steken?