Questions & Answers about Ik herken deze melodie, maar ik weet niet wie het lied zingt.
Why do we use weet in the second half, but a verb based on kennen in the first half?
The verb weten is used when you know a fact or an entire clause, which is exactly what happens here with the clause wie het lied zingt (who sings the song). In the first half, we use herken (derived from kennen) because it connects directly to a noun: deze melodie. You use kennen-based verbs when you are familiar with a thing or person, rather than knowing a factual statement.
How does the prefix her- change the meaning of kennen?
Kennen means to know in the sense of being familiar with something. Adding the prefix her- (which works like re- in English) creates herkennen, meaning to recognize. You are essentially re-knowing the melody!
Why is the verb zingt at the very end of the sentence?
The phrase wie het lied zingt is a subordinate clause (a dependent part of the sentence acting as the object of weet). A major rule in Dutch is that in subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb is always pushed to the very end.
Why is niet placed immediately after weet?