Breakdown of De kandidaat wil zowel flexibel als zelfstandig werken.
werken
to work
willen
to want
als
as (like / conjunction)
de kandidaat
the candidate
Questions & Answers about De kandidaat wil zowel flexibel als zelfstandig werken.
How do you use 'zowel ... als' in this sentence?
The phrase zowel ... als translates to "both ... and". Just like in English, it frames the two things you are grouping together. Here, it connects the two ways the candidate wants to work: zowel flexibel (both flexibly) als zelfstandig (and independently).
Can I say zowel flexibel en zelfstandig since en means "and"?
No, the combination is strictly fixed as zowel ... als. Even though en is the normal Dutch word for "and", you must always use als for the second part of this specific "both ... and" structure.
Why is the verb werken (to work) all the way at the end of the sentence?
This is because of the word wil (wants). Wil is a modal verb. In a standard Dutch sentence, a conjugated modal verb takes the second position and pushes the main action verb (in this case, the infinitive werken) to the very end of the clause.
The English translation says "flexibly" and "independently", but why don't flexibel and zelfstandig have special adverb endings?
In Dutch, you can usually use a regular adjective to describe how an action is done (an adverb) without changing the word at all. Unlike English, which often adds "-ly" (flexible -> flexibly), Dutch just uses the base words flexibel and zelfstandig.