Breakdown of Ondanks de schade kan de aankoop waar dan ook geretourneerd worden.
ook
also / -ever (concessive particle)
waar
where
dan
then
kunnen
can
worden
to become
de schade
the damage
ondanks
despite
de aankoop
the purchase
retourneren
to return (a product)
Questions & Answers about Ondanks de schade kan de aankoop waar dan ook geretourneerd worden.
What is the difference between waar dan ook and words like overal or ergens?
waar dan ook translates to 'wherever' or 'anywhere at all.' It is formed by combining the interrogative pronoun waar (where) with dan ook. While overal means 'everywhere' and ergens means 'somewhere' or 'anywhere,' using waar dan ook adds a strong emphasis that the specific location truly does not matter.
Why is the verb kan placed before the subject de aankoop?
The sentence starts with the phrase Ondanks de schade (Despite the damage). Because this phrase occupies the first position in the sentence, inversion occurs. According to the Dutch V2 rule, the finite verb kan must come exactly in the second position, pushing the subject de aankoop to the third position.
Why does the sentence end with geretourneerd worden instead of just worden geretourneerd?
In a passive sentence with a modal verb like kan, the past participle (geretourneerd) and the infinitive worden (to be) are both pushed to the end of the sentence. In Dutch, it is most common and natural to place the past participle before the infinitive at the end of the clause, resulting in geretourneerd worden.
Could I use Ondanks dat at the beginning of this sentence instead?
You could, but the structure would have to change. Ondanks is a preposition, so it is followed directly by a noun phrase like de schade. If you want to include a verb and make it a full subordinate clause, you must use the conjunction Ondanks dat (Despite the fact that). For example: Ondanks dat er schade is, kan de aankoop...
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