Breakdown of De bondgenoot verraadt het complot aan de vijand.
de vijand
the enemy
het complot
the conspiracy
verraden
to betray
de bondgenoot
the ally
Questions & Answers about De bondgenoot verraadt het complot aan de vijand.
Does verraden act like the dual-nature verbs we are learning in this lesson?
No, it is strictly inseparable. While prefixes like om- or onder- can be separable or inseparable depending on stress and meaning, the prefix ver- is always inseparable. Because it's inseparable, the stress falls on the root verb: ver-ra-den.
Why is verraadt spelled with -dt?
This is the standard present tense conjugation for the third-person singular (he/she/it). The infinitive is verraden, making the stem verraad (which already ends in a d). When conjugated for de bondgenoot (the ally), you must add a -t to the stem, resulting in verraadt.
How is the word bondgenoot (ally) formed?
It is a compound of bond (alliance, league, or union) and genoot (companion or associate). The suffix -genoot is extremely useful in Dutch for describing someone you share a situation with. For example, a huisgenoot is a roommate, a klasgenoot is a classmate, and an echtgenoot is a spouse.
Could I leave out aan and just say verraadt het complot de vijand?
No, you need the preposition aan here. When you betray information to someone, Dutch treats it similarly to giving or telling something to someone (iets aan iemand geven/vertellen). The receiver of the betrayed information is always introduced by aan.
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