Breakdown of Er hat die Lüge gestern widerrufen.
er
he
haben
to have
gestern
yesterday
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
Questions & Answers about Er hat die Lüge gestern widerrufen.
Why doesn't the past participle of widerrufen have a ge- in it, like gerufen does?
Because the prefix wider- is inseparable. Inseparable verbs never take the -ge- prefix in the past participle. Since the base verb is strong (rufen, rief, gerufen), the past participle of widerrufen is simply widerrufen, exactly the same as its infinitive form.
How does the prefix wider- change the meaning of the base verb rufen in this sentence?
The base verb rufen means to call. The prefix wider- adds a sense of opposition, resistance, or moving backward. Together, widerrufen literally means to call against or call back something that was previously stated, which is why it translates to retract or revoke.
Is the prefix wider- just a different spelling of wieder (again)?
They sound identical but have different meanings and grammar rules. wieder (with an ie) means again and is usually a separable prefix. wider- (with just an i) means against or contrary to, and is almost always an inseparable prefix. Here, he isn't calling the lie again, he is speaking against his previous lie.
Why does the time adverb gestern come after the direct object die Lüge? Don't time expressions usually come first?