Breakdown of Hoewel de camper oud is, willen we in het zuiden overwinteren.
zijn
to be
oud
old
in
in
willen
to want
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
het zuiden
the south
hoewel
although
de camper
the camper van / the motorhome
overwinteren
to spend the winter (often abroad)
Questions & Answers about Hoewel de camper oud is, willen we in het zuiden overwinteren.
Since this lesson is about over as a time word, does the verb overwinteren follow that rule?
Not quite! This lesson teaches the preposition over for future time (like over twee weken meaning 'in two weeks'). In the verb overwinteren, over acts more like the English 'over' in 'staying over'. It simply means to spend the winter somewhere.
Why do we say willen we instead of we willen?
The sentence starts with a subordinate clause (Hoewel de camper oud is). In Dutch, this whole clause counts as the first piece of information. Because the verb must come second in a main clause, the main verb (willen) goes immediately after the comma, and the subject (we) flips behind it.
Why is the verb is placed at the very end of the first part?
The conjunction hoewel (although) always introduces a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, verbs are pushed all the way to the end, which is why is comes after oud.
Is overwinteren a separable verb?
No, overwinteren is an inseparable verb. The prefix over stays permanently glued to the verb, so you will never say 'we winteren over'. A great trick to remember this: when speaking, the stress falls on win, not on over.
Learn Hoewel de camper oud is, willen we in het zuiden overwinteren and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free