Breakdown of Zij durft niet aan de nieuwe uitdaging te beginnen.
zij
she
niet
not
beginnen
to begin
nieuw
new
Questions & Answers about Zij durft niet aan de nieuwe uitdaging te beginnen.
Why is te placed right before beginnen at the end of the sentence?
This sentence uses durven (to dare), which is one of the verbs that requires te when linked to a second verb. The second verb (beginnen) goes to the very end of the clause, and te is placed immediately in front of it.
Why do we use the preposition aan before the challenge?
In Dutch, the verb beginnen (to begin or start) is paired with the preposition aan when you are starting a task, project, or challenge (uitdaging). It is similar to saying she is starting "on" the new challenge.
Why is there an "-e" at the end of nieuwe?
When an adjective comes before a noun, it usually gets an -e at the end. The only time you drop the -e is when the noun is a het-word and is preceded by een (a) or nothing at all. Since we are saying de (the), nieuw becomes nieuwe.
Why is niet placed right after durft?
In Dutch word order, the negative word niet usually comes after the main conjugated verb (durft) and before phrases that start with prepositions, like aan de nieuwe uitdaging.