Breakdown of We geven niet op, hoewel we het obstakel zien.
niet
not
zien
to see
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
hoewel
although
het obstakel
the obstacle
opgeven
to give up
Questions & Answers about We geven niet op, hoewel we het obstakel zien.
Why is the verb zien at the very end of the sentence?
The word hoewel (although) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and forces the verb to the very end. So, instead of the normal order (we zien het obstakel), hoewel pushes zien to the end, giving us: hoewel we het obstakel zien.
Why is the verb opgeven (to give up) split apart, and why does niet go in the middle?
Opgeven is a separable verb. In a standard main clause like this first half, the core verb (geven) takes the second position, while the prefix (op) is kicked to the end of that clause. The negator niet is placed before the separated prefix, resulting in we geven niet op.
Why does it use het obstakel instead of de obstakel?
Many Dutch words ending in -el are de words (like de sleutel for the key), but obstakel is a tricky exception. It is a neuter word, meaning it must take het. You simply have to memorize this one!
If I started the sentence with the hoewel part, how would the rest of the sentence change?
If you begin with Hoewel we het obstakel zien, that entire clause acts as the first piece of information. To keep the main verb in the second position (a rule called inversion), the main clause must flip its subject and verb. It would become: Hoewel we het obstakel zien, geven we niet op.
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