Breakdown of De getuige weigerde echter iets te verklaren.
iets
something
te
to (infinitive marker)
weigeren
to refuse
de getuige
the witness
echter
however
verklaren
to declare (state officially / explain)
Questions & Answers about De getuige weigerde echter iets te verklaren.
Why is echter placed after the verb instead of at the beginning of the sentence like in English ('However, the witness...')?
In Dutch, echter (however) is an adverb. While you can put it at the beginning of a sentence (which triggers inversion: Echter weigerde de getuige...), it is much more common and natural to place it in the middle of the sentence, directly after the finite verb (weigerde).
This lesson is about dienen te, but this sentence uses weigeren te. Do they follow the exact same word order?
Yes! Both dienen (to be required to) and weigeren (to refuse) are verbs that require te before the infinitive of the action verb. Just like you would say De getuige dient iets te verklaren (The witness is required to state something), you use weigerde ... te verklaren here. The te + infinitive always gets pushed to the end of the clause.
Why is iets translated as 'anything' here instead of 'something'?
While iets normally translates to 'something', English requires 'anything' in negative contexts or after verbs with a negative implication, like 'refused'. Dutch does not change the word based on negative polarity, so you simply keep using iets (weigerde iets te verklaren = refused to declare anything).
Does verklaren specifically mean 'to testify' in a legal sense here?
Verklaren broadly means 'to declare', 'to state', or 'to explain'. However, in a legal or police context like this one (involving a getuige, or witness), it specifically means making a formal statement or testifying. You will often see the related phrase een verklaring afleggen (to make a statement).
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