Breakdown of Du musst dem schlechten Einfluss widerstehen.
du
you (informal singular)
schlecht
bad
müssen
to have to, must
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Einfluss
the influence
widerstehen
to resist
Questions & Answers about Du musst dem schlechten Einfluss widerstehen.
What does the prefix wider- add to the verb stehen in this sentence?
The prefix wider- generally means "against." When combined with stehen (to stand), it creates widerstehen, which translates figuratively as "to stand against" or "to resist."
Since wider- is an inseparable prefix here, how does that affect the pronunciation?
Inseparable prefixes are never stressed. When you say widerstehen, the spoken emphasis must fall on the verb stem rather than the prefix: wi-der-steh-en.
Why is it dem schlechten Einfluss (dative) instead of the accusative den schlechten Einfluss?
The verb widerstehen always requires a dative object. In German, verbs expressing opposition, responding, or belonging often take the dative case because the action is conceptually directed to or at the receiver.
Let's review adjective endings: why does schlecht end in -en here?
Einfluss is a masculine noun (der Einfluss). Because it is in the dative case and follows a definite article (dem), the adjective takes the weak ending -en. In fact, any adjective following an article in the dative case will end in -en.
Could I use widerstehen for physical resistance, like resisting an attacker?
Not usually. Widerstehen is almost exclusively used for abstract or psychological resistance, such as resisting a temptation, a disease, or an Einfluss (influence). For physical resistance, you would use a phrase like sich widersetzen or Widerstand leisten.
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