The combination om te + infinitive is one of the most useful sentence patterns in Dutch. It often explains why someone does something or what purpose an action serves.
For example:
Ik leer Nederlands om beter te communiceren.
I am learning Dutch to communicate better.
Ze spaart geld om een fiets te kopen.
She is saving money to buy a bicycle.
In these sentences, the part beginning with om answers the question:
Why is someone doing this?
However, purpose is not the whole story. You will also find om te after certain verbs, adjectives and nouns, sometimes in situations where om can be left out.
This article explains the most useful patterns step by step, including word order, separable verbs, negation and the difference between om te, te and an infinitive without te.
1. Use Om te to Express Purpose
The most important use of om te is to express a purpose, intention or goal.
The basic pattern is:
main clause + om + additional information + te + infinitive
Ik ga naar de bibliotheek om te studeren.
I am going to the library to study.
We werken samen om het project op tijd af te ronden.
We are working together to finish the project on time.
Hij eet gezonder om meer energie te hebben.
He is eating more healthily to have more energy.
Ik neem een paraplu om niet nat te worden.
I am taking an umbrella so that I do not get wet.
When the infinitive clause expresses a genuine purpose, om is normally required. It can often be translated as to, in order to or so that.
Ask Why?
A practical way to recognize this use is to ask waarom?:
Waarom neem je een paraplu?
Why are you taking an umbrella?
Om niet nat te worden.
So that I do not get wet.
Waarom oefen je elke dag?
Why do you practise every day?
Om beter Nederlands te spreken.
To speak Dutch better.
The answer does not need to be a complete sentence. In conversation, an om te phrase can stand on its own when the context is clear.
2. Om and Te Are Not Always Next to Each Other
Learners often refer to this pattern simply as om te, but the two words are frequently separated.
Compare:
Ik bel haar om te vragen hoe het gaat.
I am calling her to ask how she is.
Here, om and te are next to each other.
But:
Ik bel haar om de afspraak te bevestigen.
I am calling her to confirm the appointment.
The object de afspraak appears between om and te bevestigen.
Another example:
We werken samen om het project op tijd af te ronden.
We are working together to finish the project on time.
Several elements appear inside the infinitive clause:
- het project: the object
- op tijd: a time expression
- af te ronden: the separable verb
A more useful basic pattern is therefore:
om + the rest of the infinitive clause + te + infinitive
The entire part beginning with om is a reduced subordinate clause. It has an infinitive rather than a finite verb and normally has no explicitly stated grammatical subject.
3. Where Does the Om te-Clause Go?
The om te clause usually appears at the end of the sentence:
Ik drink koffie om wakker te blijven.
I drink coffee to stay awake.
Ze volgt een cursus om haar Nederlands te verbeteren.
She is taking a course to improve her Dutch.
We vertrokken vroeg om de trein te halen.
We left early to catch the train.
This is the most neutral and useful position for learners.
Starting with the Purpose
You can also place the purpose clause at the beginning:
Om wakker te blijven, drink ik koffie.
To stay awake, I drink coffee.
Om op tijd te komen, vertrokken we vroeg.
To arrive on time, we left early.
Om haar Nederlands te verbeteren, volgt ze een cursus.
To improve her Dutch, she is taking a course.
Because the om te clause occupies the first position, the main clause has inversion:
Om op tijd te komen, vertrokken we vroeg. (correct)
*Om op tijd te komen, we vertrokken vroeg. (incorrect)
A comma after a fronted reduced clause is not governed by an absolute rule. It is commonly used when there is a natural pause or when the clause is fairly long. After a very short clause, it may be omitted, but using one is often the clearest choice for learners.
4. Om te with Separable Verbs
With a separable verb, te appears between the particle and the rest of the verb.
For example:
opstaan → op te staan
to get up
uitdoen → uit te doen
to turn off
meenemen → mee te nemen
to take along
invullen → in te vullen
to fill in
Examples in sentences:
Ik zet een wekker om op tijd op te staan.
I set an alarm to get up on time.
Hij gaat terug om het licht uit te doen.
He goes back to turn off the light.
Neem een tas mee om je boeken in mee te nemen.
Bring a bag to carry your books in.
Lees de instructies om het formulier correct in te vullen.
Read the instructions to complete the form correctly.
The correct pattern is:
particle + te + verb
Therefore:
om op te staan (correct)
*om te opstaan (incorrect)
om het formulier in te vullen (correct)
*om het formulier te invullen (incorrect)
In a te-infinitive, te must appear between the two parts of a separable verb.
5. Om te with More Than One Verb
An om te clause can contain more than one verb. A particularly common pattern contains a modal verb:
Ik oefen elke dag om beter Nederlands te kunnen spreken.
I practise every day so that I can speak Dutch better.
Hij vertrok vroeg om de trein te kunnen halen.
He left early so that he could catch the train.
Ze volgt een opleiding om in het onderwijs te mogen werken.
She is taking a course so that she will be allowed to work in education.
In these sentences, te belongs to the modal verb:
- te kunnen spreken
- te kunnen halen
- te mogen werken
The second verb remains an infinitive without te.
The pattern is:
om + other information + te + modal verb + main infinitive
This is important because modal verbs normally take an infinitive without te:
Ik kan zwemmen.
I can swim.
But inside a purpose clause:
Ik oefen om beter te kunnen zwemmen.
I practise so that I can swim better.
The te introduces the infinitive clause and therefore appears before kunnen, not before zwemmen.
6. Om te, Te or No Te?
Learners often hope for one simple rule that separates om te from te, but the full system is slightly more flexible.
The most useful distinction is:
- Use om te for a clear purpose.
- Learn the usual infinitive pattern with individual verbs, adjectives and nouns.
- Use no te directly after modal verbs such as kunnen, moeten, mogen, willen and zullen.
Purpose: Om te
Ik ga vroeg naar bed om beter te slapen.
I go to bed early to sleep better.
Ze neemt haar laptop mee om onderweg te werken.
She takes her laptop with her to work while travelling.
Here, om cannot simply be removed without changing the structure.
After Many Verbs: Om Is Optional
With many verbs, both te and om te are possible:
Ze probeert te slapen.
Ze probeert om te slapen.
She is trying to sleep.
Hij beloofde te helpen.
Hij beloofde om te helpen.
He promised to help.
De docent vroeg ons stil te zijn.
De docent vroeg ons om stil te zijn.
The teacher asked us to be quiet.
The form with om is not incorrect or merely casual. Both forms are standard. Om is especially common in speech and can make the structure easier to recognize.
Some Verbs Normally Use Te Without Om
With certain verbs, om is not used:
Hij lijkt ziek te zijn.
He appears to be ill.
Ze blijkt gelijk te hebben.
She turns out to be right.
Hij beweert niets te weten.
He claims not to know anything.
It is therefore helpful to learn frequent combinations as complete patterns rather than trying to derive every construction from one universal rule.
Directly After a Modal Verb: No Te
Ik wil gaan.
I want to go.
We moeten vertrekken.
We have to leave.
Zij kan goed zingen.
She can sing well.
Je mag hier zitten.
You may sit here.
Do not add om te directly after the modal:
*Ik wil om te gaan. (incorrect)
Ik wil gaan. (correct)
However, the modal can itself be part of a purpose clause:
Ik studeer om te kunnen slagen.
I study so that I can pass.
7. What About Voor te?
English uses for in many expressions involving a purpose. That can tempt learners to use voor te in Dutch.
In neutral Standard Dutch, use om te to introduce a purpose:
Ik studeer om voor het examen te slagen.
I study to pass the exam.
Not:
*Ik studeer voor te slagen. (incorrect)
You can use voor before a noun:
Ik studeer voor het examen.
I am studying for the exam.
Compare:
voor + noun
Ik spaar voor een nieuwe computer.
I am saving for a new computer.
om te + infinitive
Ik spaar om een nieuwe computer te kopen.
I am saving to buy a new computer.
Forms with voor te do occur in regional speech in parts of both Belgium and the Netherlands, but they are not the recommended neutral Standard Dutch construction.
A Belgian Dutch Note
Do not confuse this with:
Bedankt om te helpen.
Thank you for helping.
That construction is accepted as Standard Dutch in Belgium, although it is unusual in the Netherlands. *Bedankt voor te helpen, by contrast, is not Standard Dutch. In language intended for the whole Dutch-speaking area, you can use:
Bedankt voor de hulp.
Thank you for the help.
or:
Bedankt dat je geholpen hebt.
Thank you for helping.
8. Who Performs the Action?
An om te clause normally has no stated subject. The reader or listener works out who performs the action from the rest of the sentence.
Usually the Main Subject
In purpose clauses, the person performing the infinitive action is usually the subject of the main clause:
Ik neem een taxi om op tijd te komen.
I take a taxi to arrive on time.
The subject ik takes the taxi and arrives on time.
We sporten om fit te blijven.
We exercise to stay fit.
The subject we exercises and remains fit.
Anna volgt een cursus om beter Nederlands te leren.
Anna is taking a course to learn Dutch better.
Anna performs both actions.
Sometimes the Object Performs the Action
After some verbs, the understood subject of the infinitive is an object in the main clause:
De docent vroeg ons om stil te zijn.
The teacher asked us to be quiet.
The teacher does the asking, but ons are the people who must be quiet.
Ik hielp haar om het formulier in te vullen.
I helped her fill in the form.
The object haar is the person filling in the form.
Whether the understood subject is the main subject or an object depends partly on the verb and partly on the intended meaning. Dutch grammars distinguish between subject-controlled and object-controlled infinitive clauses.
Making the Intended Person Explicit
You can use voor + person + om te:
Het is belangrijk voor kinderen om genoeg te slapen.
It is important for children to get enough sleep.
Het is moeilijk voor beginners om alles meteen te begrijpen.
It is difficult for beginners to understand everything immediately.
Er is genoeg ruimte voor iedereen om te zitten.
There is enough room for everyone to sit.
The phrase with voor identifies who the infinitive clause concerns.
Use Zodat When the Meaning Is Unclear
When you need to state a different subject clearly, a full subordinate clause with zodat is often easier:
Ik gaf hem een handleiding zodat hij de machine kon gebruiken.
I gave him a manual so that he could use the machine.
This is clearer than relying on the reader to infer who performs the action.
The implied subject of a reduced infinitive clause normally needs a sensible connection with the subject or an object in the main clause.
9. Negation in an Om te-Clause
To negate the action as a whole, place niet before the te-infinitive:
Ze vertrok vroeg om niet te laat te komen.
She left early so that she would not be late.
Hij deed de deur dicht om niet gestoord te worden.
He closed the door so that he would not be disturbed.
With a separable verb:
Ze droeg donkere kleding om niet op te vallen.
She wore dark clothing so as not to attract attention.
The pattern is:
om + niet + te-infinitive
or, with a separable verb:
om + niet + particle + te + verb
Niets, Niemand and Geen
Negative pronouns and objects take their normal position inside the clause:
Ik maak een lijst om niets te vergeten.
I make a list so that I do not forget anything.
We praten zacht om niemand wakker te maken.
We speak quietly so that we do not wake anyone.
Hij nam contant geld mee om geen problemen te krijgen.
He brought cash so that he would not have any problems.
It is therefore too simple to say that every negative word must come “directly before te.” Compare:
- om niet te komen
- om niets te vergeten
- om niemand wakker te maken
- om geen fouten te maken
10. Pronouns and Objects
Pronouns and objects normally appear before the final te-infinitive or verb group:
Ik bel hem om hem te feliciteren.
I call him to congratulate him.
Ze opent het bestand om het te controleren.
She opens the file to check it.
We lezen de instructies om het formulier correct in te vullen.
We read the instructions to complete the form correctly.
Hij schrijft de naam op om hem niet te vergeten.
He writes the name down so that he does not forget it.
A practical pattern is:
om + object and other information + te-infinitive
But the exact order inside the clause still follows ordinary Dutch word-order principles. It is better to understand the entire part after om as a small clause than to memorize “object between om and te” as an isolated mechanical rule.
11. Om te After Adjectives
You will often see om te after an adjective, particularly in constructions beginning with het is:
Het is belangrijk om regelmatig te oefenen.
It is important to practise regularly.
Het is leuk om samen te koken.
It is fun to cook together.
Het is moeilijk om deze regel uit te leggen.
It is difficult to explain this rule.
In many such sentences, om is optional:
Het is moeilijk om dat te geloven.
Het is moeilijk dat te geloven.
It is difficult to believe that.
The form with om is often clearer and more natural in everyday speech. The version without om can sound more compact or written.
A Different Compact Pattern
You may also encounter:
een moeilijk te begrijpen tekst
a difficult text to understand
een gemakkelijk te gebruiken app
an easy-to-use app
Here, te begrijpen and te gebruiken form part of a compact phrase before the noun. Do not add om:
*een moeilijk om te begrijpen tekst (incorrect)
A natural alternative with om te is:
een tekst die moeilijk is om te begrijpen
a text that is difficult to understand
12. Om te After Nouns
Many nouns can be followed by an om te clause:
de kans om te solliciteren
the opportunity to apply
een plan om te verhuizen
a plan to move
de mogelijkheid om thuis te werken
the possibility of working from home
genoeg tijd om te oefenen
enough time to practise
een reden om te vertrekken
a reason to leave
With many nouns, om can technically be omitted, but it is highly natural and often makes the structure clearer:
de mogelijkheid (om) thuis te werken
the possibility of working from home
het plan (om) volgend jaar te verhuizen
the plan to move next year
Dutch speech generally favours the version with om in these optional constructions.
Something to Eat, Read or Use
An om te clause can also describe the intended use of a noun or pronoun:
Ik wil iets om te drinken.
I want something to drink.
Ze zoekt een boek om in de trein te lezen.
She is looking for a book to read on the train.
Dit is een handige tas om boodschappen in mee te nemen.
This is a convenient bag for carrying groceries.
In these postmodifying constructions, om is required.
14. A Quick Decision Guide
Ask these questions when choosing a construction.
Does the clause express a purpose?
Use om te:
Ik oefen om beter te worden.
I practise to improve.
Does the infinitive follow a verb, adjective or noun?
Check the normal construction. Om may be optional:
proberen (om) te slapen
to try to sleep
moeilijk (om) te begrijpen
difficult to understand
de mogelijkheid (om) te kiezen
the possibility of choosing
Does the infinitive directly follow a modal verb?
Use no te:
Ik kan komen.
I can come.
Is the verb separable?
Put te between the particle and the verb:
op te staan
to get up
Is it unclear who performs the action?
Use voor + person + om te or a full clause with zodat:
Het is goed voor kinderen om buiten te spelen.
It is good for children to play outside.
Ik legde het opnieuw uit zodat iedereen het kon begrijpen.
I explained it again so that everyone could understand it.
The Most Important Rules to Remember (TL;DR)
Use om te + infinitive primarily to express a purpose:
Ik leer Nederlands om beter te communiceren.
I am learning Dutch to communicate better.
Other information can appear between om and the infinitive:
om de afspraak te bevestigen
to confirm the appointment
With a separable verb, place te between the particle and the verb:
om op tijd op te staan
to get up on time
With a modal verb inside the clause:
om beter te kunnen spreken
to be able to speak better
The infinitive clause usually has no stated subject. Its intended subject must be clear from the main sentence or context.
Finally, remember that om is not always compulsory after verbs, adjectives and nouns:
Ik probeer (om) te slapen.
I am trying to sleep.
Purpose is the clearest and most important use, but learning these additional patterns will help you recognize om te in a much wider range of natural Dutch sentences.
Free Om te + Infinitive Cheat Sheet
Would you like to keep these patterns close at hand?
Download the free Om te + Infinitive Cheat Sheet for a practical one-page overview of purpose, word order, separable verbs, modal verbs, negation and common mistakes.
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