Questions & Answers about Hoewel het moeilijk is, geven wij uiteindelijk niet op.
Why is the verb is at the very end of the first clause (Hoewel het moeilijk is)?
This is because of the word hoewel (although). Hoewel is a subordinating conjunction, meaning it introduces a dependent clause. In Dutch, these types of connecting words kick the conjugated verb (in this case, is) all the way to the end of their clause.
Why does the second part of the sentence say geven wij instead of "wij geven"?
This happens because of the Dutch "verb second" rule. The entire first clause (Hoewel het moeilijk is) counts as the first block of information. To keep the main action in the second position, the second half of the sentence must start immediately with the verb (geven), followed by the subject (wij). This swapping of subject and verb is called inversion.
Why is the word op sitting at the very end of the sentence?
The verb being used here is opgeven (to give up). Opgeven is a separable verb. When you use a separable verb in a main clause, the conjugated part (geven) goes in the regular verb spot, and the prefix (op) gets kicked to the very end of the sentence.
Why is niet placed right before op?