Breakdown of De onderhandelaar wil voorkomen dat zij iemand vermoorden.
de onderhandelaar
the negotiator
vermoorden
to murder
Questions & Answers about De onderhandelaar wil voorkomen dat zij iemand vermoorden.
Why don't we use a te or om te infinitive here, like English 'prevent them from murdering'?
English uses an object control structure for 'prevent', where the object ('them') performs the action of the second verb. However, the Dutch verb voorkomen (to prevent) cannot take an object + te-infinitive. Instead, you must use a dat-clause with its own subject and conjugated verb: voorkomen dat zij iemand vermoorden (literally: prevent that they murder someone).
Is voorkomen a separable verb in this sentence?
No. When it means 'to prevent', voorkomen is inseparable and the stress falls on the second syllable (voor-KOM-en). There is another verb spelled exactly the same way, but with stress on the first syllable (VOOR-komen), which is separable and means 'to occur' or 'to appear'.
How do we know zij means 'they' and not 'she' here?
You can tell by the verb form. Vermoorden is plural, so zij must mean 'they'. If the sentence meant 'prevent her from murdering anyone', the singular verb would be used: voorkomen dat zij iemand vermoordt.
Why is vermoorden at the very end of the sentence?
The word dat introduces a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, all verbs are pushed to the end of the clause, which is why the conjugated verb vermoorden comes after the direct object iemand.
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