Making Concessions: Weliswaar ... maar
When weighing pros and cons, you often want to concede a point before introducing a counter-argument. In Dutch, frame this using the combination of weliswaar (admittedly / true) and maar (but).
Place weliswaar in the first clause (usually after the verb) to acknowledge a fact, and start the second clause with maar to introduce the counter-point.
| The babysitter is admittedly young, but she has good references. | De oppas is weliswaar jong, maar ze heeft goede referenties. |
| This babysitter is admittedly pricey, but she is very loving. | Deze oppas is weliswaar prijzig, maar ze is erg liefdevol. |
This structure is highly useful for contrasting personality traits.
| He is admittedly caring, but also a bit demanding. | Hij is weliswaar zorgzaam, maar ook een beetje veeleisend. |
| The new babysitter is admittedly strict, but he is consistent. | De nieuwe oppas is weliswaar streng, maar hij is consequent. |
You can use this balanced sentence structure to navigate all sorts of preferences, conceding either a positive or negative point first.
| The girl is admittedly spontaneous, but unfortunately quite messy. | Het meisje is weliswaar spontaan, maar helaas nogal slordig. |
| She is admittedly always punctual, but she never plays outside. | Ze is weliswaar altijd stipt, maar ze speelt nooit buiten. |
| This student is admittedly demanding, but she does cook very well. | Deze student is weliswaar veeleisend, maar ze kookt wel erg lekker. |
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