Extreme dedication with 'al'
When you want to show determination—like braving a harsh winter storm to hit the slopes—you can use the word al to mean "even if".
| even if (concessive) | al |
Verb-first in the 'al' clause
To build a concessive ("even if") clause, start with al, and follow it directly with the conjugated verb. The subject comes right after the verb.
| Even if it is freezing cold, I am still going skiing. | Al is het ijskoud, ik ga toch skiën. |
A surprising main clause
Usually in Dutch, starting a sentence with a dependent clause pushes the verb to the front of the main clause (inversion). However, concessive al clauses are a special exception! The main clause that follows keeps its standard word order: Subject + Verb.
You will also frequently see the word toch (still / anyway) in the main clause. This emphasizes that you will brave the conditions no matter what.
| Even if there is danger of an avalanche, he is still going snowboarding. | Al is er gevaar voor een lawine, hij gaat toch snowboarden. |
| Even if the mountain is steep, they are not afraid of an avalanche. | Al is de berg steil, ze zijn niet bang voor een lawine. |
Hitting the slopes
Now you can combine this grammar structure with winter sports vocabulary to express that nothing will keep you away from the mountain.
| Even if the ski lift stops, we are still walking to the peak. | Al stopt de skilift, we lopen toch naar de top. |
| Even if the descent is dangerous, I am still going to ski. | Al is de afdaling gevaarlijk, ik ga toch skiën. |
