te Inside Separable Verbs

Level 3

When a separable verb follows om ... te, te goes inside it: opstaan becomes om op te staan. (to get up)

How It Works

1. Where te goes. With an ordinary verb, te comes just before it: om te lees. With a separable verb, te goes between the prefix and the verb:

  • opstaan → om op te staan (to get up)
  • aantrek → om aan te trek (to get dressed)
  • uitgaan → om uit te gaan (to go out)
  • terugkom → om terug te kom (to come back)

2. Three words. Write the prefix, te and the verb apart: op te staan, never opte staan or opstaan te.

3. The same slot as ge-. This is the same place where ge- goes: opgestaan, op te staan. If you know one, you know the other.

4. Objects and time words come first. Everything else in the phrase stands before the prefix: Dit is moeilik om vroeg op te staan. (It is hard to get up early.) Onthou om die lig af te skakel. (Remember to switch off the light.)

5. Not with unstressed prefixes. Verbs that start with be-, ver-, ont- or her- do not split, so te stays in front: om te vertel, om te besoek.

Tip: the same thing happens after other te words, such as hoef nie te: Jy hoef nie op te staan nie. (You don't have to get up.)

Examples (6)

  1. Dit is moeilik om vroeg op te staan.

    It is hard to get up early.

    Word by Word: It is difficult for early up to stand.

    Opstaan splits: op + te + staan.

  2. Ek gaan nou huis toe om aan te trek.

    I'm going home now to get dressed.

    Word by Word: I go now home to for on to pull.

  3. Het jy lus om vanaand uit te gaan?

    Do you feel like going out tonight?

    Word by Word: Have you desire for tonight out to go?

  4. Onthou om die lig af te skakel.

    Remember to switch off the light.

    Word by Word: Remember for the light off to switch.

    The object die lig comes before the prefix af.

  5. Sy het belowe om môre terug te kom.

    She promised to come back tomorrow.

    Word by Word: She has promised for tomorrow back to come.

  6. Jy hoef nie op te staan nie.

    You don't have to get up.

    Word by Word: You need not up to stand not.

    Te also splits a separable verb after hoef nie.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting te in front of the whole separable verb.

    Dit is moeilik om vroeg te opstaan.
    Dit is moeilik om vroeg op te staan.

    Te belongs between the prefix op and the verb staan, not in front of both.

  • Putting te after the whole verb.

    Ek gaan huis toe om aantrek te.
    Ek gaan huis toe om aan te trek.

    Te always comes before the verb itself. With a separable verb that means after the prefix and before the verb.

  • Splitting a verb that does not separate.

    Ek het tyd nodig om die storie ver te tel.
    Ek het tyd nodig om die storie te vertel.

    Ver- is an unstressed prefix, so vertel never splits. Te goes in front of the whole verb.

How It Connects

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te Inside Separable VerbsLevel 3

Learn This First

Te goes between the parts of a separable verb.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

teom teom