Breakdown of Deze missie is geheim, want de vijand luistert af.
zijn
to be
deze
this / these
want
because
geheim
secret, classified
afluisteren
to eavesdrop
de vijand
the enemy
de missie
the mission
Questions & Answers about Deze missie is geheim, want de vijand luistert af.
Why is the verb split into luistert af here instead of staying together at the end?
The word want (because) is a coordinating conjunction, which means it starts a new main clause with normal word order. In a main clause, the separable verb afluisteren (to eavesdrop) splits, sending the prefix af to the end. If you used omdat instead, it would push the verb to the end where it merges: ... omdat de vijand afluistert.
Where does the stress fall in afluisteren, and can it ever be inseparable?
The stress falls heavily on the prefix: AF-luisteren. Unlike dual-nature prefixes like om- or onder- that you are currently studying, the prefix af- is almost universally separable and always takes the primary stress.
How does the prefix af- change the meaning of luisteren in this context?
While luisteren simply means "to listen," adding af- implies intercepting information or taking it away. Afluisteren is the standard Dutch verb for eavesdropping, bugging a room, or wiretapping a phone.
Why do we use deze for missie instead of dit?
Missie is a de-word (de missie). For all de-words, "this" translates to deze. You only use dit for het-words (for example, if the sentence started with "this secret," it would be dit geheim).
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