Breakdown of Ze merkte op dat de film tegenviel.
de film
the film
ze
they; she (unstressed form of zij) / them (object)
dat
that (conjunction)
opmerken
to remark
tegenvallen
to disappoint
Questions & Answers about Ze merkte op dat de film tegenviel.
What would the original, direct quote be before it was turned into reported speech?
The original quote would have been in the present tense: 'De film valt tegen' (The film is disappointing). Because we are reporting what she said in the past using Ze merkte op, the verb in the reported clause shifts from the present (valt) to the simple past (viel).
What is the infinitive of tegenviel and how is it used?
The infinitive is the separable verb tegenvallen. It literally translates as 'to fall against', but it is the standard Dutch way to say something 'disappoints' or 'turns out worse than expected'. Its positive counterpart is meevallen (to turn out better than expected).
Both opmerken and tegenvallen are separable verbs. Why is merkte op split up, but tegenviel isn't?
In the main clause (Ze merkte op), the verb takes the second position, pushing the prefix (op) to the end of that clause. However, dat introduces a subordinate clause, which forces the conjugated verb to the very end of the sentence. When a separable verb is sent to the end of a subordinate clause, its prefix and core verb reattach into a single word (tegenviel).
Does opmerken always mean 'to remark'?
Not always. Opmerken can mean both 'to remark' (to say something) and 'to notice' (to observe something). Because she is actively stating an opinion here in a dat-clause, 'remarked' is the best translation for this context.
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