As explained on an earlier page, splitting verbs split up in the simple tenses, but in some special situations they don't, and in other special situations the infinitive splits up. Gek hè?
2
Isn't it weird?
| 1.
De zon ging onder
|
The sun went down |
| Het werd donker
|
It [became, turned] got dark |
| Toen de zon onderging werd het donker
|
When the sun went down it got dark |
| In conditional subsentences splitting verbs don't split up. Keep in mind that in the line after a conditional subsentence the verb comes before the subject. | |
| De bliksem sloeg in
2
|
Lightning hit |
| Toen de bliksem insloeg
ging het licht uit
2
|
When lightning hit the light went out |
| Ga je weg?
2 |
Are you going away, leaving? |
| Doe je het licht uit als je weggaat?
|
Will you please turn off the light when you leave |
| Toen ik het licht
aandeed sloegen de stoppen door.
2
3
|
When I turned on the light the fuses blew. |
| Ik tilde z'n fiets op.
2
3 |
I lifted up his bike. |
| Toen ik z'n fiets optilde
begreep ik hoe hij zo hard kon rijden.
2
3
4
|
When I lifted up his bike I understood how he could ride that fast. |
| De zon komt door
2 |
The sun is coming [through] out (clouds are disappearing) |
| Als de zon doorkomt
na een regenbui
2
3
|
When the sun comes [through] out after a shower |
| De verwachte groei bleef uit
2
3
|
The expected growth didn't come about |
| De fabriek werd weer gesloten
2
|
The factory was closed (again) |
| Daar de verwachte groei
uitbleef, werd de fabriek weer gesloten
2
|
Because the expected growth didn't come about the factory was closed (again) |
| 't Zit ons niet mee
2
3 |
It's not going well, we're having a lot of trouble, luck seems against us |
| Als 't meezit ...
2 |
If things go well, if we're lucky ... |
| Als 't meezit is 't morgen klaar
|
If things go well it will be ready tomorrow |
| 't Zit tegen
2
3
|
It's not going well |
| Als 't tegenzit ...
2
|
If it doesn't go well, if we're not lucky, if things don't work out ... |
| 2. We moeten
de hond uitlaten
2
3
|
We have to [let out] walk the dog |
| We hoeven de hond niet uit te laten
2
3
4
|
We don't have to walk the dog |
| Vergeet niet de hond uit te laten
2 |
Don't forget to walk the dog |
|
In the perfect tenses and the passive
voice, working verbs combine with past participles; in other verb
combinations working verbs combine with infinitives. Most Dutch verbs
then add te
(like English 'to') to the infinitives but
a small group of common verbs do not add
that 'te' – in general a small detail, but the te
makes the infinitives of splitting verbs split up.
| |
|
The 15:
blijven
2
to remain, stay, continue
‑>>
- doen
2
3
to do, make
‑>>
- gaan
to go, going to
‑>>
- helpen
2
to help, assist
‑>>
- horen
2
to hear
‑>>
- komen
to come
‑>>
- kunnen
can, being able to
‑>>
- laten
to let, allow
‑>>
- leren *
to learn and to teach
‑>>
- moeten
2
must, have to
‑>>
- mogen
2
may, be allowed to
‑>>
- voelen
2
to feel
‑>>
- willen
2
to want to, desire
‑>>
- zien
to see
‑>>
- zullen
shall/will
‑>>
| |
|
Hij kan vijftig kilo optillen
2
3
|
He can lift 50 kilos (110 pounds) |
| Hij probeerde de kist op te tillen
2
3
|
He tried to lift the wooden box |
| Je moet goed opletten
2
3
|
You have to pay close attention |
| Hij zit niet goed op te letten
2
3
|
He's not paying close attention |
| We waren vergeten 't uit te doen
|
We had forgotten to turn it off |
| Je hoeft niet weg te gaan
2
3 |
You don't have to leave (you can stay for dinner etc.) |
| Dan hoef ik niet op te staan
2
3
4
|
Then I don't have to get up |
| herinneringen ophalen
2
|
to reminisce, bringing up memories |
| We zaten gezellig
herinneringen op te halen
2
| We were reminiscing pleasantly, we were having a good time chatting about the past |
| 3.
Hoe laat moet je opstaan?
2 |
'What time do you need to get up?' |
| 't Is tijd om op te staan
2
3
|
It's time to get up |
| 't Is nog te vroeg
om op te staan
2
3
|
It's still to early to get up |
|
The phrase 'om ... te'
reason for, aim or
purpose, because of, in order to, with the
intention ...
– translated as
'to' (with verb infinitive) or 'for'
(with present participle.) This te also makes the
infinitives split up.
| |
| Daar moet je mee ophouden
2
|
You should stop doing that |
| een goede reden om op te houden
2
3
|
a good reason to stop, end activity |
| Iets om naar uit te kijken
2
|
Something to look forward to |
| Zoveel dingen om aan te denken!
2 |
So many things to keep in mind! |
| afleren
2
|
to unlearn, `get out of the habit' |
| Om 't af te leren
2
3
|
'to unlearn it,' 'to break the habit' - said when you take one too many drinks or snacks |
| We zijn van plan om morgen weg te gaan
|
We're planning to leave tomorrow |
| We waren van plan om weg te gaan
|
We were planning to leave |
| Ik stond op 't punt om weg te gaan
2
3
|
I was about to leave |
| onderduiken
2
3
|
[diving under] to go into hiding (like Anne Frank) |
| 't Is al te laat om onder te duiken
2
|
It's already too late to go into hiding |
| 4.
Zonder
te
'without' also has this effect
| |
| Ik wil er nog even over nadenken
2
3 |
I'd like some more time, I need more time to think it over |
| zonder erover na te denken
2
|
unthinkingly, without carefully thinking it over |
| zonder iets achter te laten
2
3
4
|
without leaving anything behind, not leaving anything behind |
| zonder ergens aan te komen
2
3
4
|
without touching anything |
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Gij zult niet stelen
'Thou shalt not steal'