Learn Dutch: Is het budget klein? Integendeel, het bedrag is snel gestegen! - Is the budget small? On the contrary, the amount has risen quickly!

Integendeel means "on the contrary" and is used to completely deny or flip the previous assumption (that the budget is small). Echter just means "however," which introduces a complication or a simple contrast, but lacks that strong "you are completely wrong" flavor.

Why doesn't integendeel cause the verb and subject to invert in the second sentence?

When you start a Dutch sentence with an adverb, the verb usually comes next (inversion). However, integendeel acts as a standalone exclamation here, set off by a comma. Because it sits completely outside the main clause, the actual sentence starts with the subject het bedrag, so normal Subject-Verb word order (het bedrag is) applies.

Why do we say is gestegen instead of heeft gestegen?

The verb stijgen (to rise) describes a change of state or condition. In Dutch, verbs that show a change of state or direction (like rising, falling, growing, or dying) usually take zijn rather than hebben as their helping verb in the present perfect tense.

What is the difference between budget and bedrag?

Budget is a specific financial term for money planned or set aside, just like in English. Bedrag is a more general word for an "amount" or "sum" of money. The speaker uses bedrag in the second half to keep the sentence flowing nicely without repeating the word budget.