Breakdown of De prijs stijgt. De winst is daarentegen erg klein.
zijn
to be
klein
small
erg
very / really
de prijs
the price
Questions & Answers about De prijs stijgt. De winst is daarentegen erg klein.
Why is daarentegen placed after the verb is instead of at the beginning of the sentence?
Unlike English, where "on the other hand" often starts a sentence, Dutch connecting adverbs like daarentegen and echter are very commonly placed right after the conjugated verb (is). You can put it at the beginning, but that triggers inversion (verb before subject): Daarentegen is de winst erg klein.
Could I use integendeel instead of daarentegen here?
No, because integendeel (on the contrary) is used to contradict a previous statement, usually a negative one (like "The profit isn't large. On the contrary, it is small."). Daarentegen (on the other hand / by contrast) is used to contrast two completely different things, like the price and the profit in this sentence.
Is stijgt only used for prices?
No, the verb stijgen (to rise, climb, or increase) is very versatile. You can use it for rising prices, rising temperatures, the water level, or an airplane taking off. Note that it is an irregular verb: the past tense is steeg and the past participle is is gestegen.
Can I use heel instead of erg in this sentence?
Yes, you absolutely can. When used to mean "very" before an adjective (like klein), erg and heel are completely interchangeable in Dutch. De winst is daarentegen heel klein would be equally correct and mean exactly the same thing.