Learn Dutch: Ook al is het niveau hoog, haar toewijding is groot. - Even though the level is high, her dedication is great.

The phrase ook al is special. While most words that mean 'although' or 'even though' push the verb to the very end of their clause, ook al triggers inversion. This means the verb (is) comes immediately after ook al, followed by the subject (het niveau).

Why does the second part say haar toewijding is groot instead of is haar toewijding groot?

This is the most surprising rule about ook al. Normally, if you start a sentence with a dependent clause, the main clause that follows must invert (putting the verb before the subject). But an ook al clause is an exception: it does not force inversion in the main clause. So, we keep the normal Subject-Verb order: haar toewijding is groot.

How would this exact sentence look if we used hoewel (although) instead?

Because hoewel follows standard rules, the word order would change in both halves. In the first clause, the verb goes to the end: Hoewel het niveau hoog is. In the main clause, the verb comes first because of the preceding clause: is haar toewijding groot.

Is there a trick to remembering that toewijding (dedication) is a de word?