Breakdown of Zij verzetten zich tegen de plicht om te zwijgen.
de plicht
the duty
zich verzetten tegen
to resist / to oppose
Questions & Answers about Zij verzetten zich tegen de plicht om te zwijgen.
Why is zich used in this sentence?
The verb zich verzetten (to resist / to oppose) is a reflexive verb in Dutch. Even though English just says 'they resist', in Dutch you literally say 'they resist themselves'. Because the subject is zij (they), the matching reflexive pronoun is zich.
Why is the preposition tegen used after verzetten?
Many Dutch verbs have a fixed preposition they always partner with, just like in English. For zich verzetten, the fixed preposition is always tegen (against). So in Dutch, you always 'resist against' something.
The current lesson is about zouden moeten (should / ought to). How does this sentence fit in?
While zouden moeten is the verb structure used to express a moral obligation (such as 'they should keep silent'), de plicht is the noun form meaning 'the duty' or 'the obligation'. This sentence explores the lesson's theme of moral obligation, but uses a noun phrase instead of the verb phrase.
Why do we need om te before zwijgen, instead of just te?
We use om te + infinitive here because it specifies the noun right before it (de plicht). Whenever you want to express 'the duty to [do something]', 'the time to [do something]', or 'the chance to [do something]', Dutch usually links the noun and the action with om te.
What is the difference between zwijgen and stil zijn?
Zwijgen specifically means 'to keep silent' by not speaking or by withholding information, which fits perfectly with a duty or a vow. Stil zijn simply means 'to be quiet' and can refer to avoiding any kind of physical noise, like loud footsteps or a running engine.
Learn Zij verzetten zich tegen de plicht om te zwijgen and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free