Breakdown of Ook al werk ik voltijd, ik kan het met mijn studie combineren.
ik
I
werken
to work
met
with
mijn
my
het
it
kunnen
can
de studie
the studies
ook al
even if / even though
voltijd
full-time
combineren
to combine
Questions & Answers about Ook al werk ik voltijd, ik kan het met mijn studie combineren.
Why does the first clause use werk ik instead of pushing the verb to the end?
Normally, a subordinating linking word pushes the verb to the end of the clause. But ook al (even if / even though) is a special exception! It is always followed by an inversion: the verb comes first, then the subject (werk ik).
Why doesn't the second part start with the verb? Shouldn't it be kan ik?
You have learned that starting a sentence with a subclause usually triggers inversion in the main clause. However, ook al breaks this rule too! When a sentence starts with an ook al clause, the main clause that follows ignores it and keeps the normal subject-verb order (ik kan).
Can ook al mean both 'even if' and 'even though'?
Yes, it can! Dutch uses ook al for both real situations (even though I work full-time) and hypothetical ones (even if I work full-time). You have to rely on context to know which one is meant.
Why is combineren at the very end of the sentence?
This is a quick refresher on modal verbs. Because the main clause uses the modal verb kan (can), the action verb (combineren) gets pushed to the very end of its clause.
What is the opposite of voltijd?
Voltijd means full-time. The word for part-time is deeltijd. You might also hear people say fulltime and parttime in Dutch, as these English loanwords are very common in the workplace.
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