blijken + te + Infinitive

Turn Out to

Level 4

The construction blijken te (to turn out to) is used when a fact is revealed or established through evidence, research, or observation. It is stronger than 'seem' because it implies the matter is now a proven reality.

How It Works

The verb blijken is a strong verb (blijken - bleek - gebleken) that functions as a 'verb of revelation.' It describes the transition from not knowing something to it becoming clear through evidence.

1. The 'Te' Construction
The most common way to use it is with te + infinitive at the end of the sentence:
• De sleutels blijken in de auto te liggen. (The keys turn out to be in the car.)

2. The 'Dat' Clause
You can also use it with an impersonal het and a subordinate clause:
• Het blijkt dat we te laat zijn. (It turns out that we are too late.)

3. Blijken uit (Evidence Source)
To indicate the source of the evidence, use the preposition uit:
• Dat blijkt uit het onderzoek. (That is evident from the research.)
• Uit zijn gedrag blijkt dat hij zenuwachtig is. (From his behavior, it is clear that he is nervous.)

4. Copulative Usage
Blijken can sometimes be used directly with an adjective without 'te zijn', though 'te zijn' is more formal:
• Het bleek onmogelijk. (It turned out [to be] impossible.)

5. Perfect Tense
Crucially, blijken always uses zijn as its auxiliary verb in the perfect tense:
• Het is achteraf gebleken dat... (It turned out afterwards that...)

Examples (4)

  1. Hij blijkt toch gelijk te hebben gehad.

    He turns out to have been right after all.

    Word by Word: He turns-out yet right to have had.

    Here, 'blijkt' is used with 'te hebben gehad' to show that evidence now proves his previous statement was correct.

  2. Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat de cijfers niet kloppen.

    From the research, it appears that the figures are not correct.

    Word by Word: Out the research turns-out that the figures not fit.

    This uses the 'dat-clause' structure, which is very common in journalism and academic writing to cite evidence.

  3. De pomp bleek te lekken.

    The pump turned out to be leaking.

    Word by Word: The pump turned-out to leak.

    This uses the past tense 'bleek' to describe a discovery made in the past.

  4. Het bleek achteraf een groot misverstand te zijn.

    In hindsight, it turned out to be a big misunderstanding.

    Word by Word: It turned-out afterwards a big misunderstanding to be.

    A classic use of 'blijken te zijn' to describe a situation that was clarified later.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'hebben' instead of 'zijn' in the perfect tense.

    Het heeft gebleken dat hij loog.
    Het is gebleken dat hij loog.

    Blijken is a verb that always takes 'zijn' in the perfectum because it indicates a change of state (from unknown to known).

  • Using 'blijken te' (it turns out) when you mean 'blijven' (keep on).

    Different MeaningHij blijkt in Amsterdam te wonen.
    Hij blijft in Amsterdam wonen.

    'Hij blijkt in Amsterdam te wonen' is correct, but it means 'it turns out he lives in Amsterdam'. To say he stays living there, use 'blijven' with a bare infinitive: 'Hij blijft in Amsterdam wonen'.

  • Forgetting the 'te' before the infinitive.

    Het blijkt waar zijn.
    Het blijkt waar te zijn.

    When using an infinitive with 'blijken', you must include 'te' unless you are using it as a simple copula (e.g., 'Het bleek waar').

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

blijken + te + InfinitiveLevel 4Turn Out to

Learn This First

To understand 'blijken te', you first need to be comfortable with the 'te + infinitive' structure, as this pattern functions as a semi-auxiliary verb. You also need a solid grasp of basic verb conjugation and the verb 'zijn', as the most common usage of this pattern is 'blijkt ... te zijn' (turns out to be).

Words in This Pattern

blijkente