Word
Hoewel de klasgenoot onherkenbaar is, hebben we nog contact.
Meaning
Although the classmate is unrecognizable, we still have contact.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Hoewel de klasgenoot onherkenbaar is, hebben we nog contact.
zijn
to be
hebben
to have
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
nog
still, yet / more, another (with a quantity)
Questions & Answers about Hoewel de klasgenoot onherkenbaar is, hebben we nog contact.
Why is it hebben we instead of we hebben in the second half of the sentence?
The first part of the sentence, Hoewel de klasgenoot onherkenbaar is, is a subordinate clause that takes up the first position in the whole sentence. Because Dutch uses the 'verb-second' rule, the main verb (hebben) must come immediately after it, which pushes the subject (we) behind the verb. This is called inversion.
Why is the verb is at the very end of the first clause?
The word hoewel (although) introduces a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb is always pushed to the end of that specific clause.
How is the word onherkenbaar put together?
It is built perfectly parallel to its English translation: the prefix on- (un-), the verb stem herken (from herkennen, to recognize), and the suffix -baar (-able). Put together, it means 'unrecognizable'.
Does nog mean 'still' or 'yet' in this context?
Here, nog means 'still'. The phrase hebben we nog contact translates to 'we still have contact' or 'we are still in touch'.