Breakdown of Ik weet dat hij de leugen niet ontkent.
ik
I
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
niet
not
weten
to know (a fact)
Questions & Answers about Ik weet dat hij de leugen niet ontkent.
Why does niet come after de leugen rather than before it?
In Dutch, niet usually comes after a specific, definite object. Because de leugen (the lie) has the definite article de, it is a specific object. Therefore, niet is placed after it, right before the verb at the end of the subordinate clause.
Why is the verb ontkent placed at the very end of the sentence?
The word dat (that) introduces a subordinate clause. A major rule in Dutch is that in a subordinate clause, the working verb (ontkent) gets kicked all the way to the end.
In English, I could just say "I know he does not deny the lie." Can I leave out dat in Dutch?
No, you generally shouldn't drop dat here. While English frequently drops the linking word "that", Dutch almost always requires dat to connect the main clause to a subordinate clause.
The infinitive of the verb is ontkennen. Why does ontkent only have one 'n' before the 't'?