om ... te + Infinitive
In Order to: Om ... Te
Om ... te + infinitive means (in order) to: Ek gaan winkel toe om brood te koop. (I'm going to the shop to buy bread.)
How It Works
1. The shape. om + (object and other words) + te + infinitive:
- Ek gaan winkel toe om brood te koop. (I'm going to the shop to buy bread.)
- Sy spaar om 'n kar te koop. (She is saving to buy a car.)
- Ek leer Afrikaans om met my skoonma te praat. (I'm learning Afrikaans to talk with my mother-in-law.)
2. It goes last. In the STOMPI order it is the I at the end, after the final verbs: Hy het gebel om te sê dat hy laat sal wees. (He phoned to say that he would be late.)
3. Negative. Nie comes after om, and the second nie ends the phrase: Ons het vroeg vertrek om nie laat te wees nie. (We left early so as not to be late.)
4. Separable verbs. Te goes between the prefix and the verb: om op te staan. See te inside separable verbs.
5. Other uses. Om ... te also follows nouns such as tyd and lus: Ek het nie tyd om te lees nie. (I don't have time to read.) It also comes after verbs such as probeer (verbs followed by om te) and in Dit is lekker om te swem (dit ... om te).
Tip: om ... te works when the doer is the same as the subject. When someone else does the second action, use sodat: Ek praat hard sodat jy my kan hoor.
Examples (6)
- Ek gaan winkel toe om brood te koop.
I'm going to the shop to buy bread.
Word by Word: I go shop to in-order bread to buy.
The object brood sits between om and te.
- Sy spaar om 'n kar te koop.
She is saving to buy a car.
Word by Word: She saves in-order a car to buy.
- Hy het gebel om te sê dat hy laat sal wees.
He phoned to say that he would be late.
Word by Word: He has phoned in-order to say that he late will be.
- Ons het vroeg vertrek om nie laat te wees nie.
We left early so as not to be late.
Word by Word: We have early left in-order not late to be not.
Nie follows om, and the second nie closes the phrase.
- Ek leer Afrikaans om met my skoonma te praat.
I'm learning Afrikaans to talk with my mother-in-law.
Word by Word: I learn Afrikaans in-order with my mother-in-law to talk.
- Ek het nie tyd om te lees nie.
I don't have time to read.
Word by Word: I have not time in-order to read not.
Here om te follows the noun tyd.
Common Mistakes
Putting the object after the infinitive, as in English.
Ek gaan winkel toe om te koop brood.Ek gaan winkel toe om brood te koop.The object goes between om and te. Te and the infinitive always come last.
Leaving out om.
Ek gaan winkel toe brood te koop.Ek gaan winkel toe om brood te koop.To say why you do something, start the phrase with om.
Putting te before the adjective instead of the infinitive.
Ons het vroeg vertrek om nie te laat wees nie.Ons het vroeg vertrek om nie laat te wees nie.Te stands directly before the infinitive wees, so laat comes before te. Te laat on its own means too late.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Om ... te + infinitive expresses purpose and uses the verb-at-the-end order.
Related Patterns
- Verbs + om ... teVerbs Followed by Om Te
Verbs such as probeer and vergeet that are followed by om ... te.
Level 3 - te Inside Separable Verbs
How te splits a separable verb: om op te staan.
Level 3 - sonder om teWithout Doing: Sonder Om Te
Sonder om te means without doing something.
Level 3 - sodatSo That
Use sodat when someone else does the second action.
Level 3 - dit + Adjective + om teIt Is Nice to: Dit ... Om Te
Another common frame with om ... te: Dit is lekker om te swem.
Level 3 - Sentence Order: STOMPI
The om ... te phrase fills the final I slot.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice om ... te + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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