Breakdown of Hij weigert dat af te leren.
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
dat
that (het-words)
te
to (infinitive marker)
weigeren
to refuse
Questions & Answers about Hij weigert dat af te leren.
How does this sentence demonstrate a shortened clause (beknopte bijzin)?
A shortened clause is often used when the subject of the main verb (weigert) and the action in the subclause belong to the same person (hij). Instead of repeating the subject in a full subordinate clause like Hij weigert dat hij dat afleert, Dutch smoothly drops the second hij and replaces the clause with a te + infinitive structure: dat af te leren.
Is the word dat acting as a conjunction here?
No. Because this is a shortened te-clause, we don't need the conjunction dat (that) to link the clauses. The word dat in this sentence is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "that thing," and it serves as the direct object of the verb. He is refusing to unlearn that specific thing.
Why is te placed in the middle of af te leren instead of before it?
Afleren is a separable verb, made up of the prefix af and the verb leren. When a separable verb is used in a te-infinitive construction, the word te is sandwiched between the prefix and the verb. Note that they are written as three separate words: af te leren.
What is the exact nuance of afleren compared to just vergeten (to forget)?