Breakdown of Hij overschat zichzelf en meent onfeilbaar te zijn.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
en
and
te
to (infinitive marker)
zichzelf
himself / herself / themselves (emphatic)
menen
to claim / to believe (to be true)
overschatten
to overestimate
onfeilbaar
infallible
Questions & Answers about Hij overschat zichzelf en meent onfeilbaar te zijn.
How does the structure meent onfeilbaar te zijn translate to 'claims to be infallible'?
The verb menen usually means to hold a firm belief or opinion. When you use menen followed by te plus an infinitive verb, you express what someone firmly believes to be true about themselves. Therefore, meent onfeilbaar te zijn means he genuinely believes, and subsequently claims, that he is infallible.
Could I just say Hij meent dat hij onfeilbaar is instead of using te zijn?
Yes, you absolutely can! Hij meent dat hij onfeilbaar is means exactly the same thing. However, using te plus an infinitive (as in meent onfeilbaar te zijn) is more elegant and concise. It feels very similar to the difference between saying 'He claims to be infallible' versus 'He claims that he is infallible' in English.
Why use zichzelf instead of just zich here?
Both are reflexive pronouns meaning 'himself', but adding -zelf provides emphasis. Because the verb overschatten (to overestimate) is entirely about a person's inflated view of their own abilities, zichzelf heavily highlights that he is specifically overestimating himself.
What is the root of the word onfeilbaar?
It is built from the negative prefix on- (in- or un-) and feilbaar (fallible). The core of the word is related to the verb falen (to fail) and the older noun feil (flaw or error). So onfeilbaar literally means being incapable of making an error.
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