Breakdown of Niemand houdt van die ijdele acteur, ook al is hij waanzinnig beroemd.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
houden van
to love / to like
die
that / those (de-words and plurals)
niemand
no one
beroemd
famous
de acteur
the actor
ook al
even if / even though
waanzinnig
insanely
ijdel
vain
Questions & Answers about Niemand houdt van die ijdele acteur, ook al is hij waanzinnig beroemd.
This lesson is about using "mogen" for concession. How would I rewrite the "ook al" clause using "mogen"?
Why is the word order ook al is hij (verb-subject) instead of sending the verb to the end?
The phrase ook al (even though) is a famous exception to normal Dutch subordinate clause rules. While a similar conjunction like hoewel pushes the verb to the end (hoewel hij waanzinnig beroemd is), ook al triggers inversion. The verb comes immediately after it, followed by the subject.
Can waanzinnig be used as an intensifier for positive things too?
Yes! Just like "insanely" or "crazy" in English, waanzinnig literally means "delusional" or "insane," but it is heavily used as a strong intensifier in both positive and negative contexts. You will often hear Dutch speakers say Dat is waanzinnig! to mean "That's amazing!"
Why does the adjective ijdel (vain) get an extra -e in die ijdele acteur?
Acteur is a common gender noun (de acteur). Because it is preceded by the demonstrative pronoun die (that), the adjective modifying it must take the standard -e ending.
Learn Niemand houdt van die ijdele acteur, ook al is hij waanzinnig beroemd and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free