Questions & Answers about Hij geeft toe aan de verleiding.
I thought toegeven meant 'to admit'. Does it mean something different here?
Yes, toegeven has two common meanings. While it often means 'to admit' or 'to confess' (like hij geeft zijn fout toe - he admits his mistake), when you use it with the preposition aan, it means 'to give in to' or 'to yield to'. So toegeven aan de verleiding is 'to give in to the temptation'.
How could I use this lesson's structure to say 'He gives in to the temptation, only to regret it later'?
You can use om vervolgens (only to / to subsequently) plus te and the infinitive. For example: Hij geeft toe aan de verleiding, om er vervolgens spijt van te hebben. This highlights the narrative contrast between his action and the resulting regret.
If I put this in a subordinate clause, does toegeven stay split up?
No. Because toegeven is a separable verb, the prefix toe and the verb geeft stick back together at the end of a subordinate clause. For example: Ik weet dat hij aan de verleiding toegeeft. (I know that he gives in to the temptation.)
Could I use opgeven here to mean 'giving in'?
Not in this context. Opgeven means 'to give up' or 'to quit' entirely (like a race or a habit). Toegeven aan is used specifically when yielding to an urge, pressure, or temptation. You give up (opgeven) a diet, but you give in to (toegeven aan) a craving.
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