Breakdown of Tijdens de vergadering weigerde hij de harde kritiek te ontkennen.
hij
he
tijdens
during
de vergadering
the meeting
weigeren
to refuse
de kritiek
the criticism
ontkennen
to deny
hard
harsh
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Questions & Answers about Tijdens de vergadering weigerde hij de harde kritiek te ontkennen.
What does Tijdens de vergadering mean, and why is the noun vergadering preceded by de?
Tijdens de vergadering means during the meeting.
- Tijdens is a preposition that takes a noun phrase as its object.
- Vergadering is a singular, common‐gender noun, so it needs the definite article de when referring to a specific meeting.
Why is the verb weigerde placed before the subject hij in this sentence?
Dutch is a V2 (verb‐second) language. In main clauses:
- The first element (Tijdens de vergadering, a time adverbial)
- The finite verb (weigerde)
- The subject (hij)
That’s why weigerde comes before hij here.
Why are there two verbs (weigerde and ontkennen)? Can’t we just say hij ontkende?
- Hij ontkende means he denied.
- Hij weigerde te ontkennen means he refused to deny.
The construction weigeren + te + infinitive specifically expresses a refusal to perform the action of the second verb.
Why is there a te before ontkennen, and why does ontkennen appear at the end?
- Verbs like weigeren, beloven, proberen, etc., are followed by a te-infinitive clause.
- In Dutch main clauses, the entire te + infinitive group moves to the end.
- The te marks the non-finite infinitive.
Can I use om te ontkennen instead of just te ontkennen?
With verbs such as weigeren, you omit om and use te directly. Adding om here would be unidiomatic.
Is this sentence an example of a double negative?
No.
- Weigerde means refused, which is an act of refusal, not a negation word like niet.
- Ontkennen means to deny.
So refused to deny isn’t a grammatical double negative but rather a refusal to perform the denial.
Could this sentence be in the present tense?
Yes. In present tense it becomes:
Tijdens de vergadering weigert hij de harde kritiek te ontkennen.
Here weigert is simply the present‐tense form of weigeren.
Why harde kritiek, and can I drop harde or de?
- Kritiek is usually uncountable.
- Harde kritiek specifies harsh criticism.
- De makes it definite/specific.
You could say: - hij weigerde kritiek te ontkennen (more general)
- hij weigerde de kritiek te ontkennen (specific criticism, without emphasis on harshness)
What’s the difference between ontkennen, afkeuren, and verwerpen?
- Ontkennen: to deny that something is true or occurred.
- Afkeuren: to disapprove of something (express negative judgment).
- Verwerpen: to reject something as unacceptable.
In our sentence, ontkennen refers to denying the validity or truth of the criticism.
Can the time expression Tijdens de vergadering be moved to a different position?
Yes. Adverbials are flexible. For example:
Hij weigerde tijdens de vergadering de harde kritiek te ontkennen.
The finite verb remains in second position; moving the adverbial slightly changes emphasis.