Te + infinitive verbs is the forty-seventh (assuming left to right) skill in the Dutch language tree. In the four lessons of this skill, the learner of Dutch is introduced to the idea of saying "to ..." with the Dutch preposition te. This is used with verbs other than the modal verbs.
Tips
Cases of te usage
- Hangen, liggen, lopen, staan, and zitten form the continuous when used with te. Remember, you must be sitting, standing, etc. for this to be correct.
- The so-called "verbable" forms when te is used in conjunction with vallen, blijven, or zijn. This creates "verb+able" constructions ("Is this understandable?")
- Several verbs familiar from English (force, dare, desire, etc.) will take te in Dutch, similar to how they take "to" in English.
Usage
Om is a common preposition used with te; Aan is another. The two go hand in hand.
The most common mistake in these lessons is to mess up how these two work, and how they interact with the rest of the sentence.
Example: Ik vroeg je te komen. (I asked you to come) does not require either, but Je verzoekt om mij te komen (You ask for me to come) does.
Notice that mij ends up between the om...te. This is very common.
Lessons
Lesson 1
- om te = to
- zonder = without
- door = through/by
Lesson 2
- vragen = to ask
- beginnen = to begin
- proberen = to try
- vergeten = to forget
- leren = to learn
Lesson 3
- beloven = to promise
- bevelen = to order
- dwingen = to force
- besluiten = to decide
- weigeren = to refuse
Lesson 4
- liggen = to lie
- hoeven = to have to (must)
- blijken = to appear
- durven = to dare
- staan = to stand
References
Duolingo Lesson: www.duolingo.com/skill/dn/Te-+-infinitive-verbs