Word
Hat sie die falsche Behauptung widerlegt?
Meaning
Did she refute the false claim?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Hat sie die falsche Behauptung widerlegt?
sie
she
falsch
wrong
haben
to have
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
Questions & Answers about Hat sie die falsche Behauptung widerlegt?
Why is the past participle widerlegt and not gewiderlegt or widergelegt?
The prefix wider- is inseparable in the verb widerlegen (to refute). Because it is inseparable, the verb does not take the -ge- prefix when forming the past participle.
Does the prefix wider- mean the same thing as wieder- (again)?
No, even though they sound exactly the same, they are different prefixes. The prefix wieder- means 'again', while wider- means 'against' or 'contrary to'. In widerlegen, you are metaphorically 'laying evidence against' a claim to prove it wrong.
Are verbs with the prefix wider- always inseparable?
Not always, but mostly. In verbs with an abstract or figurative meaning like widerlegen (to refute) or widersprechen (to contradict), it is inseparable. In a few verbs with a more literal or visual meaning, like widerspiegeln (to reflect), it is separable.
Why does falsche end in just -e here if it is the direct object (accusative)?
The noun Behauptung is feminine. In the accusative case, feminine adjectives following a definite article (die) simply take the -e ending, exactly as they do in the nominative case.