Breakdown of Hoewel we voorzichtig rijden, krijgen we een ongeluk.
een
a/an
rijden
to drive
voorzichtig
carefully
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
krijgen
to get (receive)
het ongeluk
the accident
hoewel
although
Questions & Answers about Hoewel we voorzichtig rijden, krijgen we een ongeluk.
Why is the second half "krijgen we" instead of "we krijgen"?
This is the main rule of this lesson! When a sentence starts with a subordinate clause (like Hoewel we voorzichtig rijden), that whole clause takes up the first position. Because the verb must come second in a Dutch main clause, the main verb krijgen comes right after the comma, pushing the subject we behind it. This is called inversion.
Why is the verb rijden at the very end of the first part?
The word hoewel (although) introduces a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb gets pushed to the very end. That is why we say Hoewel we voorzichtig rijden rather than Hoewel we rijden voorzichtig.
Why does the sentence use krijgen (to get) instead of hebben (to have) for an accident?
In English you "have" an accident, but in Dutch you "get" one (een ongeluk krijgen). Using hebben here would sound unnatural, as if you possess the accident like an object, rather than unexpectedly experiencing it.
Why doesn't voorzichtig have a special ending to mean "carefully"?
In Dutch, adjectives (like careful) and adverbs (like carefully) almost always use the exact same word. You do not need to add a special ending like "-ly" in English. Voorzichtig covers both depending on how it is used in the sentence.
Learn Hoewel we voorzichtig rijden, krijgen we een ongeluk and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free