Breakdown of Ze ontkennen de leugen en laten het erbij.
en
and
het
it
ze
they; she (unstressed form of zij) / them (object)
laten
to let (laten we ... = let's ...)
de leugen
the lie
ontkennen
to deny
erbij
at it / with it (accompanying, belonging to)
Questions & Answers about Ze ontkennen de leugen en laten het erbij.
Why do we need both het and erbij in the phrase laten het erbij?
The phrase het erbij laten is a fixed idiom meaning 'to leave it at that' or 'to let the matter rest'. In this expression, het acts as a vague direct object referring to the situation, and erbij (literally 'at it') completes the phrase. Because this is a lexicalized (set) expression, you must use both words together to get this specific meaning.
Could I emphasize 'that' by replacing erbij with daarbij?
No, it's best to stick to erbij. While you can normally swap er for daar in a sentence to add emphasis, this doesn't work well with fixed idioms. The phrase het erbij laten relies on the unstressed, vague nature of erbij.
Does erbij ever split up when using this idiom?
Yes! Like most combinations of er + preposition, erbij will split if you add other elements to the sentence. For example, if you add a time word like vandaag (today), the sentence becomes: Ze laten het er vandaag bij (They are leaving it at that for today). Notice that the pronoun het still sits directly in front of er.
How does ontkennen differ from weigeren?
Ontkennen specifically means to deny a fact, truth, or statement (like de leugen, the lie). If you want to say 'refuse' or 'deny' in the sense of rejecting a request or refusing to do an action, you must use weigeren.
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