Breakdown of Zij bestelde impulsief kleren in de uitverkoop, om ze vervolgens nooit aan te trekken.
zij
she
in
in
bestellen
to order
nooit
never
Questions & Answers about Zij bestelde impulsief kleren in de uitverkoop, om ze vervolgens nooit aan te trekken.
How does om vervolgens translate to 'only to' in this sentence?
The structure om ... te + infinitive usually expresses purpose, like 'in order to'. But by adding vervolgens (subsequently or then), the phrase becomes a narrative tool. It shows a sequence of events where the second action is unexpected, ironic, or disappointing compared to the first. In English, we naturally translate this narrative contrast as 'only to'.
Where do the words ze, vervolgens, and nooit go in the second clause?
In an om ... te clause, everything else must be sandwiched between om and te. The clause starts with om, immediately followed by the object ze (the clothes). Then come the adverbs vervolgens and nooit, which pushes the final verb phrase aan te trekken to the very end of the sentence.
Why is it written as aan te trekken instead of te aantrekken?
Because aantrekken (to put on clothes) is a separable verb. When a separable verb is used with te, the te squeezes itself right between the separable prefix (aan) and the base verb (trekken). It is always written together as one word.
Why do we use in for in de uitverkoop when English says 'on sale'?