Breakdown of Hoe wist de wolf ongezien het territorium te betreden?
hoe
how
te
to (infinitive marker)
betreden
to enter / to step on
weten te
to manage to
de wolf
the wolf
ongezien
unseen
het territorium
the territory
Questions & Answers about Hoe wist de wolf ongezien het territorium te betreden?
Why does wist translate to 'manage' here instead of 'knew'?
This sentence uses the weten te + infinitive structure. While weten alone means 'to know', combining it with te and another verb (here, te betreden) changes the meaning to 'managing to' or 'succeeding in' doing that action.
Could I use binnen te gaan instead of te betreden?
Yes, het territorium binnen te gaan also works. However, betreden (literally to tread upon or step into) is an excellent B2-level verb often used for entering land, restricted areas, or habitats, making it a very natural choice here.
Is ongezien an adjective or an adverb in this sentence?
It acts as an adverb describing how the wolf entered the territory. Because it is an adverb, it takes the base form ongezien and does not get an -e ending, which it might need if it were an adjective placed directly in front of a noun.
Why is te betreden placed at the very end of the sentence?
This follows the standard Dutch verb bracket. The conjugated verb wist takes the second position in this question, pushing the rest of the verbal block (te betreden) to the very end of the clause, after the direct object het territorium.
Learn Hoe wist de wolf ongezien het territorium te betreden and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free