Questions & Answers about Word niet moedeloos, ook al regent het.
How does the suffix -loos work in the word moedeloos?
The suffix -loos translates to "without" or "-less". Here it is attached to the noun moed (courage). Notice the connecting -e- in the middle: moed-e-loos. This extra vowel is frequently added for smoother pronunciation before -loos when the base noun is a single syllable ending in a consonant, giving us an adjective that literally means "without courage".
Why is the verb word used without a -t at the end?
This is the imperative (command) form of worden (to become). In Dutch, the imperative is formed using just the bare stem of the verb. Since the stem of worden is word, it does not get an extra -t at the end, even if it looks like a spelling error to English speakers used to seeing the conjugated forms.
Why is the word order regent het instead of het regent after ook al?
The phrase ook al (even if / even though) is a special case in Dutch grammar. Unlike most subordinating conjunctions which push the verb to the very end of the clause, ook al usually triggers inversion. Because it occupies the first position in that thought, the verb (regent) must immediately follow it, coming right before the subject (het).
Could I use zelfs als instead of ook al in this sentence?