Word
Waarom lieg je, als je de waarheid niet kent?
Meaning
Why do you lie, if you don't know the truth?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Waarom lieg je, als je de waarheid niet kent?
niet
not
kennen
to know
waarom
why
de waarheid
the truth
Questions & Answers about Waarom lieg je, als je de waarheid niet kent?
Why is niet placed right before kent in the second part of the sentence?
In a subordinate clause (the part starting with als), the verb (kent) is pushed to the very end of the sentence. When you make a subordinate clause negative, the word niet (not) generally sits just before that final verb. If this were a regular main clause, it would be Je kent de waarheid niet, with niet at the very end!
Why does the verb kent go at the very end of the sentence?
The word als (if) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and forces the verb in that clause (kent) to move all the way to the end.
Why does this sentence use kent for "know" instead of weet?
In Dutch, kennen is used when you are familiar with a person, place, or a specific concept (like a story or de waarheid - the truth). You use weten for knowing pure facts or having information (for example: "I know that he is lying" = Ik weet dat hij liegt).
Why is it lieg je instead of je liegt in the first part?
In Dutch questions that start with a question word like Waarom (Why), the verb and subject swap places. So je liegt (you lie) becomes lieg je (do you lie). Also, remember that when je or jij comes directly after the verb, the verb drops its -t ending!