Breakdown of Wij handhaven deze strategie ten aanzien van de concurrentie.
wij
we
deze
this / these
de strategie
the strategy
de concurrentie
the competition
handhaven
to enforce / to maintain (rules, order)
ten aanzien van
with respect to
Questions & Answers about Wij handhaven deze strategie ten aanzien van de concurrentie.
How formal is ten aanzien van, and what exactly is its function here?
It translates to "with regard to" or "with respect to." It is a highly formal, complex preposition used mostly in business, legal, or political contexts to connect a stance or policy to the group it affects. Here, it specifies exactly who the strategy is directed at.
Why does this phrase use ten? Is that related to the word te?
Yes, ten is a frozen contraction of the preposition te and an old Dutch article den. Modern Dutch no longer uses these grammatical cases, but they survive in formal fixed expressions like ten aanzien van and ten opzichte van. You just treat the whole phrase as a single, unchangeable vocabulary chunk.
Could I use a simpler, less formal phrase here instead of ten aanzien van?
Yes, if you wanted to sound slightly less corporate, you could use tegenover (towards) or the phrase wat betreft (regarding). However, since handhaven is already quite a formal verb, the complex preposition fits the tone of this sentence perfectly.
I know onderhouden also means "to maintain". Could I use it instead of handhaven here?
No, they have different nuances. Handhaven is used for upholding, enforcing, or sticking to abstract things like rules, strategies, order, or rights. Onderhouden is used for the physical maintenance of objects, like a house or a machine, or for keeping up relationships.
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