Question 1

Wait, doesn't mag usually mean 'allowed to'? What does it mean here?

Accepted Answer

You are right that mogen usually expresses permission. However, here it is used to make a concession. In the phrase mag dan wel ... zijn, it translates to 'may well be...' to grant a point before countering it with maar (but).

Question 2

What is the function of dan wel in this sentence? Can I leave them out?

Accepted Answer

The words dan wel are modal particles that reinforce the concession. While mag ... zijn alone could technically mean 'may be', adding dan wel gives it the specific flavor of 'may well be' or 'even if he is'. If you drop them, the phrase loses its natural, idiomatic flow for conceding a point.

Question 3

Why is zijn placed at the end of the first clause?

Accepted Answer

Because mag is a modal verb, it pushes the main infinitive verb, zijn, to the end of its clause. The first clause is a main clause where mag is the conjugated verb in the second position, so the infinitive zijn goes to the very end before the comma.

Question 4

Is ijdel related to the English word 'idle'?

Accepted Answer

They look similar and share historical roots, but they are false friends! In Dutch, ijdel means 'vain' or 'conceited' (caring too much about your appearance). It does not mean lazy or doing nothing, which would be lui.

Question 5

Could I use kunnen instead of mogen here, like kan dan wel ijdel zijn?

Accepted Answer

You might hear kan dan wel in casual spoken Dutch, but mag dan wel is the standard, fixed expression for this kind of concession. Using mogen essentially means you are 'allowing' or granting the first point to be true before contradicting it with the second clause.

De presentator mag dan wel ijdel zijn, maar hij is oprecht.

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