If you’ve ever wondered why Dutch speakers sprinkle om te through their sentences, you’re not alone. It’s one of those tiny phrases that quietly holds the language together; short and simple, yet endlessly useful once you know how it works.
Dutch uses om te + infinitive to express what something is for or why you do it; in other words, to show purpose. But that’s just the starting point. Sometimes you’ll see te appear without om, and sometimes learners accidentally use voor te (which never works in this context).
This article walks you through everything step by step:
- what “om te” means and how to use it naturally
- where to place it in a sentence and when to add a comma
- how it differs from the plain “te + infinitive”
- what to watch out for with negation, separable verbs, and pronouns;
- and how to recognize who is doing the action inside the om te-clause.
To make things practical, each section ends with a short summary table that gathers all essential examples and rules at a glance; perfect for revision or quick reference.
For beginners
Focus mainly on Sections 1–3: the meaning of om te, its word order, and how it differs from te. That’s the foundation for clear, correct sentences in everyday Dutch.
For intermediate and advanced learners
Pay extra attention to Sections 4 and 5: how the subject works inside an om te-clause, and how negation, pronouns, and separable verbs behave. These finer details make your Dutch sound smoother and more natural.
By the end, you’ll not only understand when and how to use om te + infinitive, but you’ll also have a ready-made cheat sheet to keep all the main patterns and examples in one place.
What “om te + infinitive” means
At its core, om te + infinitive expresses purpose: it tells us why someone does something. It’s the Dutch equivalent of English in order to or simply to when we talk about intention or goal.
The core idea
Think of om te as the small link that introduces a purpose clause. It answers the question waarom? (why?) or waarvoor? (for what purpose?).
Examples:
- Ik leer Nederlands om beter te communiceren.
→ “I’m learning Dutch to communicate better.” - Ze spaart geld om een fiets te kopen.
→ “She’s saving money to buy a bike.” - We werken samen om het project op tijd af te ronden.
→ “We’re working together to finish the project on time.” - Hij eet gezonder om meer energie te hebben.
→ “He’s eating more healthily to have more energy.”
Whenever you want to express a purpose, goal, or motivation, om te + infinitive is the natural structure to use.
How to think about it
A phrase with om te + infinitive acts like a mini-sentence that explains the reason for the main action. It’s often easiest to find by asking yourself:
Why is someone doing this? → Om te + infinitive
Example:
- Ik neem een paraplu om niet nat te worden.
→ “I take an umbrella to avoid getting wet.” - Ze zet een timer om zich te herinneren aan de afspraak.
→ “She sets a timer to remind herself of the appointment.”
Word order with “om te + infinitive”: the basic rules
Because Dutch places verbs at the end of a clause, learners often wonder where om te should go. Here are three simple rules to keep your sentences natural and correct.
Rule 1: Keep “om te + infinitive” close to the main verb
The om te-clause belongs with the action it explains. Placing it nearby makes the sentence easier to follow.
Example:
- Ik ga vroeg naar bed om beter te slapen.
→ “I go to bed early to sleep better.”
If you move it too far away, the connection between the action and its purpose becomes unclear.
Rule 2: With separable verbs, the particle goes before te
Separable verbs such as opstaan, uitdoen, meegaan, and aandoen keep their particle (the prefix) before te, never after it. So, the correct pattern is [particle] + te + verb.
Example:
- Ik zet een wekker om op tijd op te staan.
→ “I set an alarm to get up on time.”
Correct: op te staan
Incorrect: *te opstaan
Rule 3: Pronouns and objects come before te + infinitive
When there’s a pronoun (hem, haar, het, me, zich) or an object, it always comes between om and te.
Examples:
- Ik bel hem om hem te feliciteren.
→ “I call him to congratulate him.” - Ze probeert het om het te repareren.
→ “She tries it to repair it.” - Hij helpt haar om haar huiswerk te maken.
→ “He helps her to do her homework.”
So the formula is: om + [object/pronoun] + te + infinitive
Summary
| Function | Example | English Translation |
| Expressing purpose | Ik leer Nederlands om beter te communiceren. | I’m learning Dutch to communicate better. |
| With separable verbs | Ik zet een wekker om op tijd op te staan. | I set an alarm to get up on time. |
| With pronouns or objects | Ik help haar om haar huiswerk te maken. | I help her to do her homework. |
Where to place the “om te”-clause in the sentence
The om te-clause most often appears at the end of the sentence, right after the main verb phrase. That’s the neutral, most common position:
Examples:
- Ik drink koffie om wakker te blijven.
→ “I drink coffee to stay awake.” - Ze sloot het raam om het stiller te maken.
→ “She closed the window to make it quieter.”
Moving the “om te”-clause to the front
You can also place the om te-clause at the beginning of the sentence to add emphasis. It highlights the purpose first, before the main action. It’s a very natural word order in spoken and written Dutch when you want to stress motivation or reason.
Examples:
- Om wakker te blijven, drink ik koffie.
→ “To stay awake, I drink coffee.” - Om beter te leren, herhaal ik de woorden elke dag.
→ “To learn better, I repeat the words every day.”
Using a comma
When an om te-clause comes at the beginning of the sentence, it is advisable to use a comma after it, especially if the clause is long or complex. This pause helps the reader process the sentence and prevents misinterpretation.
Examples:
- Om niet te laat te komen, vertrokken we vroeg.
→ “To avoid being late, we left early.” - Om het project op tijd af te ronden, werkte het team in het weekend.
→ “To finish the project on time, the team worked during the weekend.”
When the om te-clause is at the end of the sentence, a comma is optional. You can add one for rhythm or clarity if the sentence feels heavy, but it is not grammatically required.
Examples:
- Ik ga vroeg naar bed om beter te slapen.
→ “I go to bed early to sleep better.” - We trainen hard om klaar te zijn voor de wedstrijd.
→ “We train hard to be ready for the competition.”
Summary
| Position | Example | Translation | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| At the end | Ik neem koffie om wakker te blijven. | I drink coffee to stay awake. | Neutral and most common position. |
| At the beginning | Om wakker te blijven, neem ik koffie. | To stay awake, I drink coffee. | Adds emphasis; use a comma after the clause. |
| Complex fronted clause | Om het project op tijd af te ronden, werkte het team in het weekend. | To finish the project on time, the team worked during the weekend. | Always add a comma for clarity. |
“Om te” vs “te”: what’s the difference?
Dutch learners often wonder when to use om te and when to use only te before an infinitive. The distinction is small but important, and understanding it will make your sentences sound much more natural.
The golden rule
- Use om te when you express purpose, i.e. why someone does something.
- Use te (without om) when the infinitive is a complement after certain verbs, adjectives, or nouns.
Think of it this way:
om te = reason or goal
te = continuation or description
After verbs that take an infinitive (no om)
Many common Dutch verbs link directly to another verb with te, not om te. These are verbs of intention, beginning, promise, or mental activity; and they don’t need om.
Examples:
- Ze probeert te slapen.
→ “She tries to sleep.” - Hij besloot te stoppen.
→ “He decided to stop.” - Ik ben vergeten te bellen.
→ “I forgot to call.”
Other common verbs in this group include:
beloven te, weigeren te, beginnen te, hopen te, proberen te, besluiten te, vergeten te, weigeren te, durven te.
Note: In casual spoken Dutch, you’ll sometimes hear proberen om te, but standard Dutch prefers proberen te.
Never use om after Dutch modal verbs
The Dutch modal verbs (kunnen, moeten, mogen, willen, zullen) are always followed by a bare infinitive (no te, no om te).
Examples:
- Ik wil gaan.
→ “I want to go.” - We moeten vertrekken.
→ “We have to leave.” - Je mag blijven.
→ “You may stay.”
Correct: Ik wil gaan.
Incorrect: *Ik wil om te gaan.
Adding om te after a modal verb is one of the most common mistakes learners make, but also one of the easiest to fix once you know this rule.
After adjectives and nouns
There are three main patterns you’ll encounter here.
1. Predicate pattern with “om te”
After adjectives that express an evaluation of an activity, Dutch normally uses om te + infinitive. This pattern is common in sentences beginning with het is…
Adjectives like belangrijk, leuk, goed, verstandig, gezond, moeilijk, makkelijk, fijn, interessant all fit this pattern.
Examples:
- Het is belangrijk om te oefenen.
→ “It’s important to practise.” - Het is leuk om te zingen.
→ “It’s fun to sing.” - Het is moeilijk om te begrijpen.
→ “It’s difficult to understand.”
This structure focuses on evaluating the action itself (It’s good / nice / difficult to do X).
2. Compact “te + infinitive” before a noun (no om)
When the infinitive directly modifies a noun, Dutch uses the bare te + infinitive construction, without om. This form is typical of written or slightly formal Dutch, and it creates a compact expression.
Examples:
- een moeilijk te begrijpen tekst
→ “a difficult-to-understand text” - een makkelijk te gebruiken app
→ “an easy-to-use app” - een interessant te lezen artikel
→ “an interesting article to read”
With some adjectives like moeilijk or makkelijk, both versions are possible:
- Het is moeilijk om te begrijpen. (neutral, common in speech)
- Het is moeilijk te begrijpen. (more compact, often written style)
Both are correct; the difference lies mainly in tone and rhythm.
3. After nouns of time, chance, or plan
When a noun expresses time, opportunity, or intention, Dutch prefers the om te structure.
Examples:
- de tijd om te studeren
→ “the time to study” - de kans om te solliciteren
→ “the opportunity to apply” - een plan om te verhuizen
→ “a plan to move”
This rule applies to many similar nouns: reden om te… (“the reason to”), idee om te… (“the idea to”), poging om te… (“an attempt to”), taak om te…(“a task to”), doel om te… (“the goal to”).
Summary
| Context | Use | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expressing purpose | om te | Ik leer Nederlands om beter te communiceren. | I’m learning Dutch to communicate better. |
| Verb + infinitive (no om) | te | Hij besloot te stoppen. | He decided to stop. |
| After adjectives (evaluation) | om te | Het is leuk om te zingen. | It’s fun to sing. |
| Before nouns (compact form) | te | een moeilijk te begrijpen tekst | a difficult-to-understand text. |
| After nouns of time/chance/plan | om te | de kans om te solliciteren | the opportunity to apply. |
| After modal verbs | (no om, no te) | Ik wil gaan. | I want to go. |
Who is doing the action in the om te-clause?
An om te-clause does not have its own explicit subject. That means you have to infer who performs the action from the context, and that can sometimes cause confusion.
In most cases, the understood subject of the om te-clause is the same as the subject of the main clause. But sometimes it can refer to the object instead. Let’s look at both situations.
1. The subject is the same as in the main clause
In the majority of sentences, the person who performs the action in the om te-clause is the same as the main subject. This is the default and most natural situation.
Examples:
- Ik neem een taxi om op tijd te komen.
→ “I take a taxi to arrive on time.” - We sporten om fit te blijven.
→ “We exercise to stay fit.”
In all these sentences, the subject (ik, we) carries out both actions, i.e. the main action and the purpose expressed in the om te-clause.
2. The subject refers to the object of the main clause
Sometimes the om te-clause refers not to the subject but to the object of the main clause, i.e. the person or thing affected by the action.
Examples:
- Ik gaf hem het boek om te lezen.
→ “I gave him the book to read.” - Ze kocht speelgoed om haar dochter mee te laten spelen.
→ “She bought toys for her daughter to play with.”
In the first example, ik (I) performs the action of giving, but hij (he) performs the action of reading. This difference is clear enough from the context, so Dutch allows it.
3. When it becomes ambiguous
Sometimes it’s not immediately clear who is performing the action in the om te-clause. If there is any risk of confusion, it’s best to rephrase.
You can do this in two ways:
With zodat (so that)
This makes the subject of the subordinate clause explicit.
- Ik gaf hem het boek zodat hij het kon lezen.
→ “I gave him the book so that he could read it.”
With laten (to let / to have someone do something)
This expresses that the subject causes someone else to perform the action.
- Ik gaf hem het boek om hem het te laten lezen.
→ “I gave him the book to have him read it.”
Both rephrasings make the sentence unambiguous, and that’s exactly what you should do in writing or formal speech if there’s any doubt about who is doing what.
Summary
| Situation | Example | Translation | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Same subject | Ik neem een taxi om op tijd te komen. | I take a taxi to arrive on time.” | Default meaning; subject acts in both clauses. |
| Refers to the object | Ik gaf hem het boek om te lezen. | I gave him the book to read. | Allowed when the meaning is clear. |
| Ambiguous meaning | Ik gaf hem het boek zodat hij het kon lezen. | I gave him the book so that he could read it. | Use zodat or laten to make the subject clear. |
Negation, particles, and pronouns
Now that you know how om te + infinitive works, let’s look at three small but important details that often cause confusion:
- how to negate an om te-clause,
- how to handle separable verbs, and
- where to place pronouns and objects.
Negating an om te-clause
When you want to make the action in an om te-clause negative, simply place niet or niets directly before te + infinitive. You do not move the negation to the end of the clause, as you might in a normal main clause.
Examples:
- Ik maak een lijst om niets te vergeten.
→ “I make a list to forget nothing / so I don’t forget anything.” - Ze zette een herinnering om niet te laat te zijn.
→ “She set a reminder so as not to be late.” - We probeerden stil te zijn om niemand te wekken.
→ “We tried to be quiet so as not to wake anyone.”
Rule of thumb: place niet/niets/niemand immediately before te, just like you would in English before “to”.
Separable verbs: the particle goes before te
With separable verbs (opstaan, uitdoen, meegaan, aandoen, etc.), the particle always stays attached to the verb group. In an infinitive construction, te is inserted between the particle and the verb stem.
Pattern: om + [particle] + te + [verb stem]
Examples:
- Ik zet een wekker om op tijd op te staan.
→ “I set an alarm to get up on time.” - Hij probeert het licht uit te doen voor het slapengaan.
→ “He tries to turn off the light before going to sleep.”
Correct: op te staan, uit te doen
Incorrect: *te opstaan, *te uitdoen
Pronouns and objects come before te + infinitive
When your om te-clause contains a pronoun (hem, haar, het, me, zich) or an object, it must be placed between om and te. This position is fixed and does not change.
Pattern: om + [object/pronoun] + te + [verb]
Examples:
- Ik bel hem om hem te feliciteren.
→ “I call him to congratulate him.” - Hij helpt haar om haar huiswerk te maken.
→ “He helps her to do her homework.” - We herinneren ons dit om het niet te vergeten.
→ “We remind ourselves of this so as not to forget it.”
Summary
| Feature | Rule | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negation | Place niet / niets before te | Ze zette een herinnering om niet te laat te zijn. | She set a reminder so as not to be late. |
| Separable verbs | Particle before te | Ik zet een wekker om op tijd op te staan. | I set an alarm to get up on time. |
| Pronouns and objects | Between om and te | Ik bel hem om hem te feliciteren. | I call him to congratulate him. |
Conclusion
The structure om te + infinitive is small, but it unlocks a huge amount of natural Dutch.
- Use om te when you express purpose, i.e. why something happens.
- Use the bare te + infinitive after certain verbs, adjectives, and nouns (proberen te, hopen te, beginnen te, …).
- With separable verbs, the particle goes before te (op te staan, uit te doen).
- Place pronouns or objects between om and te (om hem te helpen).
- If the sentence feels unclear, rephrase it with zodat or laten to make the subject explicit.
Each section in this guide gives you a practical summary you can return to anytime, so don’t worry if you don’t master everything at once. If you’ve read this far, you now have all the tools you need to use “om te + infinitive “naturally and confidently, from simple everyday sentences to advanced written Dutch.
Free PDF: Om te + Infinitive Cheat Sheet
Want to keep all the essential patterns, examples, and rules on one page? Download your free Om te + Infinitive Cheat Sheet here or find it anytime on the Free Downloads page.
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