Breakdown of Dit bedrijf groeit langzaam. Onze concurrent is daarentegen erg snel.
zijn
to be
snel
fast
erg
very / really
onze
our (de-words, plurals)
Questions & Answers about Dit bedrijf groeit langzaam. Onze concurrent is daarentegen erg snel.
Why is daarentegen placed in the middle of the second sentence instead of at the beginning?
Daarentegen translates to "on the other hand" or "by contrast". Because it is an adverb, it can move around in the sentence. Putting it after the verb (is) is very natural, just like in English: "Our competitor is, on the other hand, very fast." If you choose to put it at the start, you must invert the subject and verb: Daarentegen is onze concurrent erg snel.
Could I use echter (however) instead of daarentegen here?
Grammatically, yes. Onze concurrent is echter erg snel works perfectly. However, daarentegen specifically highlights a direct contrast or opposite between two entities—in this case, the slow company versus the fast competitor. It is a more precise way to say "by contrast" than a simple "however".
Could I use integendeel (on the contrary) in this sentence instead?
No, integendeel wouldn't work here. You use integendeel to contradict or deny a previous statement entirely (e.g., "Is this company slow? On the contrary, it is fast!"). Because you are acknowledging both statements as true and simply comparing two different subjects (this company vs. our competitor), daarentegen is the correct choice.
Why does the first sentence use Dit but the second sentence uses Onze instead of Ons?