Breakdown of De klank is niet alleen helder, maar het lied is ook indrukwekkend.
zijn
to be
ook
also / -ever (concessive particle)
niet
not
maar
but
het lied
the song
alleen
alone; only
helder
clear
de klank
the sound / the tone (musical, quality)
indrukwekkend
impressive
Questions & Answers about De klank is niet alleen helder, maar het lied is ook indrukwekkend.
Why is the word order maar het lied is and not maar is het lied?
The word maar is a coordinating conjunction. This means it connects two normal, independent sentences without changing their internal structure. Because of this, the second clause keeps the standard subject-verb word order: het lied (the subject) followed by is (the verb).
Why are maar and ook separated from each other in the second clause?
When niet alleen... maar ook connects two complete clauses, maar and ook are usually split. maar sits at the front to link the two sentences. Meanwhile, ook acts as an adverb, so it must follow the subject and verb of the new clause (het lied is).
Could I use het geluid instead of de klank for the sound?
You could, but they have slightly different meanings. geluid is the general word for any sound or noise. klank refers specifically to the tone, timbre, or musical quality of a sound, which fits perfectly here because the sentence is about a song.
What is the literal breakdown of the word indrukwekkend?
It is a compound word made of indruk (impression) and the verb wekken (to generate, arouse, or wake). Literally, it describes something that generates an impression!
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