Breakdown of We bouwen een schuilplaats, ondanks dat we moe zijn.
zijn
to be
een
a/an
moe
tired
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
bouwen
to build
ondanks dat
despite the fact that
de schuilplaats
the shelter (hiding place, refuge)
Questions & Answers about We bouwen een schuilplaats, ondanks dat we moe zijn.
How does ondanks dat affect the word order in the second half of the sentence?
Ondanks dat is a subordinating conjunction (a linking word that introduces a dependent clause). In Dutch, these conjunctions push the conjugated verb to the very end of the clause. That is why the standard order we zijn moe changes to we moe zijn.
Can I just use hoewel (although) instead of ondanks dat?
Yes, you can. Hoewel and ondanks dat mean essentially the same thing here and both push the verb to the end of the clause. Ondanks dat translates literally to 'despite that' or 'despite the fact that', which can sound just a little bit stronger and more specific than hoewel.
Could I drop the word dat and just say ondanks we moe zijn?
No, you cannot drop dat here. By itself, ondanks is a preposition meaning 'despite', which must be followed by a noun or noun phrase, such as ondanks onze vermoeidheid (despite our exhaustion). To connect a full clause that has its own subject and verb (we moe zijn), you must use the full conjunction ondanks dat.
What are the parts that make up the compound noun schuilplaats?
It is made up of the verb stem schuil (from schuilen, which means to take shelter or to hide) and the noun plaats (place). Put them together and you literally get a 'shelter-place'.
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