Breakdown of Je verzwijgt vaak de waarheid. Bovendien heb je het lef om te liegen.
hebben
to have
vaak
often
de waarheid
the truth
je
you (unstressed form of jij)
liegen
to lie (tell an untruth)
te
to (infinitive marker)
bovendien
moreover
om
in order to
het lef
the nerve
verzwijgen
to conceal
Questions & Answers about Je verzwijgt vaak de waarheid. Bovendien heb je het lef om te liegen.
How can I change the second sentence into an exclamatory dat-clause to show my disbelief?
You would start with Dat and push the finite verb to the end of that clause, just like a standard subclause. It becomes: Dat je bovendien het lef hebt om te liegen! (That you moreover have the nerve to lie!). This perfectly fits the lesson's theme of expressing shock or indignation without needing a main clause.
Why is verzwijgen used here instead of a more common word for "hide" like verbergen?
Verzwijgen specifically means "to conceal by keeping silent" (it comes from zwijgen, meaning "to be silent"). While verbergen is great for hiding physical objects or even emotions, verzwijgen is the exact verb you need when someone is hiding information, facts, or the truth.
Why does the second sentence say heb je instead of je hebt?
This is because of inversion. The second sentence starts with the linking adverb Bovendien (moreover). In Dutch main clauses, the finite verb must be in the second position. Because Bovendien takes the first spot, the verb (heb) comes next, followed by the subject (je).
Why do we use om te before liegen instead of just te liegen?
The combination om te + infinitive is used here because you are specifying the purpose or target of the noun phrase het lef (the nerve). When you modify a noun with an infinitive action (like having the guts, time, or intention to do something), Dutch almost always uses om te.
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