Breakdown of De wind was ijskoud, maar we bleven wandelen.
zijn
to be
maar
but
wandelen
to walk (for pleasure)
blijven
to stay
de wind
the wind
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
ijskoud
freezing cold
Questions & Answers about De wind was ijskoud, maar we bleven wandelen.
What makes ijskoud an elative compound adjective in this sentence?
An elative compound adjective combines a noun like ijs (ice) with an adjective like koud (cold) to express an extreme degree. Instead of just saying the wind was very cold (heel koud), ijskoud acts as a strong intensifier meaning freezing or literally ice-cold.
Where does the stress fall when pronouncing an elative compound like ijskoud?
In Dutch elative compounds, the primary stress almost always falls on the first part of the word, which is the intensifier. Therefore, you should put the emphasis on ijs, pronouncing it as IJS-koud.
Why is bleven wandelen used here to mean kept walking?
The verb blijven (to stay or remain) is used directly with another verb in its infinitive form to indicate a continuous, ongoing action. Using blijven plus an infinitive is the standard, most natural way in Dutch to say that you keep doing something.
Why does the word order remain normal in the second half of the sentence after maar?
Because maar is a coordinating conjunction, meaning it links two independent main clauses. Unlike subordinating conjunctions such as omdat or hoewel that push the verb to the end of the sentence, maar does not change the standard subject-verb word order of we bleven.
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