Breakdown of Ondanks de storm vertrekt de trein precies op tijd.
de tijd
the time
op
on
de trein
the train
precies
exactly
vertrekken
to leave / to depart
de storm
the storm
ondanks
despite
Questions & Answers about Ondanks de storm vertrekt de trein precies op tijd.
Does ondanks need an extra word after it, like 'van' for 'in spite of'?
No, ondanks directly translates to 'despite' or 'in spite of'. Just like 'despite' in English, it is followed directly by the noun phrase (de storm) without needing any extra connecting words.
Why is the word order vertrekt de trein instead of de trein vertrekt?
Because the sentence starts with the phrase Ondanks de storm. In Dutch, when you start a sentence with anything other than the subject, you must apply inversion. This means the conjugated verb (vertrekt) takes the second position in the sentence, and the subject (de trein) moves to right after it.
Could I use ondanks dat in this sentence instead?
Not with this sentence structure. You use ondanks before a noun phrase like de storm. You use ondanks dat (despite the fact that) when you are introducing a full clause with its own subject and a verb. For example: Ondanks dat het stormt... (Despite that it is storming...).
Is op tijd a fixed expression for 'on time'?
Yes, op tijd is the standard phrase for both 'on time' (punctual) and 'in time' (early enough). By adding precies before it, precies op tijd perfectly captures 'exactly on time' or 'right on schedule'.
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