---
title: "Om te: in order to"
level: B1
chapter: "Verbs in time"
canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/om-te
updated: 2026-10-09
author: Dutch Fluency
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
---

# Om te: in order to

To say why you do something, Dutch uses _om ... te_ plus an infinitive (the basic form of a verb, like _werken_): _Ik leer Nederlands om hier te kunnen werken_ (I'm learning Dutch so I can work here). _Om_ comes first, objects and other details follow, and _te_ plus the infinitive usually close the group. The same pattern follows many adjectives and nouns: _Het is leuk om te doen_, _Het is tijd om te gaan_.

## The pattern

> _Om_ opens the group, and _te_ plus the infinitive usually close it. Use it to give a purpose, or to complete an adjective or a noun.

- Purpose, like English "in order to": _Ik bel om een afspraak te maken._
- After adjectives such as _leuk_, _moeilijk_, _belangrijk_, _te koud_ and _oud genoeg_. You will sometimes see these without _om_, especially in writing: _Het is moeilijk te zeggen._
- After nouns such as _tijd_, _zin_, _geld_ and _de kans_.
- Objects and adverbs go between _om_ and _te_: _om melk te kopen_.
- A phrase with a preposition can go before _te_ or after the infinitive: _om naar het feest mee te gaan_ and _om mee te gaan naar het feest_ are both fine.
- A separable verb (a verb whose first part splits off, like _opbellen_) takes _te_ in the middle: _om je op te bellen_. With a modal verb such as _kunnen_, _te_ goes before the modal: _om te kunnen werken_.
- The _om_ group usually comes after the whole main clause, even after a past participle: _Ik ben vroeg vertrokken om de file te vermijden._ Put it first, and the verb follows straight away: _Om de file te vermijden, vertrek ik vroeg._

## Examples

| Ik leer Nederlands **om** hier **te kunnen werken**. | I'm learning Dutch to be able to work here. |
| Fatima belt de gemeente **om** een afspraak **te maken**. | Fatima calls the municipality to make an appointment. |
| Daan fietst extra hard **om** de trein van 8.12 **te halen**. | Daan cycles extra fast to catch the 8:12 train. |
| **Om** op tijd **te zijn**, neemt Joris de bus van zeven uur. | To be on time, Joris takes the seven o'clock bus. |
| Het is leuk **om** met je buren **te praten**. | It's nice to chat with your neighbours. |
| Lotte is oud genoeg **om** alleen naar school **te fietsen**. | Lotte is old enough to cycle to school alone. |
| Het is tijd **om** naar huis **te gaan**. | It's time to go home. |
| Heb je zin **om** zaterdag **mee te gaan** naar de verjaardag van Emma? | Do you feel like coming along to Emma's birthday on Saturday? |
| Mei heeft geen tijd **om te koken** en haalt sushi. | Mei has no time to cook and picks up sushi. |

## Why it works this way

An _om te_ group behaves like a mini subordinate clause (a part of a sentence that cannot stand on its own). Dutch parks the verb of such a clause near the end, and that is exactly what happens here.

The group has no subject of its own and no conjugated verb. In a purpose group, the person doing the action is usually the subject of the main clause: in _Fatima belt de gemeente om een afspraak te maken_, Fatima makes the appointment. After adjectives and nouns, the person comes from the context or means people in general: _Het is leuk om met je buren te praten_ is about anyone who chats with their neighbours.

Compare these pairs:

- _Bas probeert op tijd op te staan._ (what Bas tries: _proberen_ takes _te_, see [Infinitives with te](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/infinitive-with-te))
- _Bas zet drie wekkers om op tijd op te staan._ (why Bas sets them: purpose, so _om_)
- _Ik bel de huisarts om een afspraak te maken._ (purpose: no subject after _om_)
- _Ik bel de huisarts omdat ik koorts heb._ (reason: _omdat_ has its own subject and verb)

When the purpose needs its own subject, use a so that clause with _zodat_: _Ik praat langzaam zodat Ahmed me begrijpt._

Remember: _om_ and _te_ plus the infinitive are the two slices of bread. Objects, adverbs and the first part of a separable verb (_melk_, _hier_, the _op_ of _opbellen_) are the filling in between. A phrase with a preposition may stick out at the end, like a lettuce leaf: _om mee te gaan naar het feest_.

## Watch out

- Not: _Ik ga naar de supermarkt om te kopen melk._ Say: _Ik ga naar de supermarkt om melk te kopen._ (the object goes between _om_ and _te_)
- Not: _Ahmed belt de huisarts een afspraak te maken._ Say: _Ahmed belt de huisarts om een afspraak te maken._ (for a purpose, _te_ alone is not enough)
- Not: _Ik spaar geld voor een auto te kopen._ Say: _Ik spaar geld om een auto te kopen._ (standard Dutch uses _om_, not _voor_, before _te_)
- Not: _Ik bel mijn buren om ze te uitnodigen._ Say: _Ik bel mijn buren om ze uit te nodigen._ (a [separable verb](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/separable-verbs) splits around _te_)

## Quick check

1. Choose _om_ or _omdat_: _Het waait vandaag te hard ... naar je werk te fietsen._
2. Fill in the present tense of _vertrekken_: _Om de trein van 7.40 te halen, ... Sanne elke ochtend vroeg van huis._
3. Fix the sentence: _Carlos gaat naar het station om oma te ophalen._
4. Fix the sentence: _Joris spaart geld om te kopen een nieuwe fiets._

## Answers

1. _om_: it is followed by _te_ plus an infinitive; _omdat_ needs a subject and a conjugated verb.
2. _vertrekt_: the _om_ group fills the first place, so the verb comes next.
3. _Carlos gaat naar het station om oma op te halen._ (_te_ goes between _op_ and _halen_)
4. _Joris spaart geld om een nieuwe fiets te kopen._ (the object goes between _om_ and _te_)

## Use it today

Write three sentences with _om ... te_ about your own week: why you go to the supermarket, why you take the train or the bike, and why you are learning Dutch. Say them out loud on your way there.

## Questions learners ask

**What does om te mean in Dutch?**

Om ... te plus an infinitive usually means "in order to" and tells why someone does something, as in Ik leer Nederlands om hier te kunnen werken. It also follows many adjectives and nouns, as in Het is leuk om te doen and Het is tijd om te gaan.

**Where does the object go in an om te sentence?**

The object goes between om and te: Ik ga naar de winkel om brood te kopen, not om te kopen brood. Om opens the group and te plus the infinitive usually close it, although a phrase with a preposition can follow the infinitive.

**Do you always need om before te in Dutch?**

No. After verbs like proberen and beginnen, te alone is usual, as in Ik probeer op tijd te komen. To express a purpose you need om, and after adjectives and nouns such as leuk, tijd and zin, om is the normal choice in everyday Dutch.

From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.