Breakdown of De minister is aanwezig. Niettemin zwijgt het parlement.
zijn
to be
de minister
the minister
aanwezig
present
zwijgen
to remain silent
niettemin
nevertheless
het parlement
the parliament
Questions & Answers about De minister is aanwezig. Niettemin zwijgt het parlement.
How does niettemin affect the word order in the second sentence?
Niettemin acts as an adverb, not a coordinating conjunction (like maar). Because it occupies the first position in the second sentence, it triggers inversion. This is why the verb zwijgt comes before the subject het parlement.
Could I use the other connector from this lesson, evenwel, in exactly the same way here?
Yes, you can start the sentence with Evenwel zwijgt het parlement to mean the same thing. However, evenwel is frequently placed after the verb rather than at the very beginning, making Het parlement zwijgt evenwel a highly natural alternative.
Why does this sentence use zwijgt instead of just saying is stil?
While both translate to being quiet, zwijgen specifically means refraining from speaking. In this context, zwijgt het parlement implies the parliament is pointedly choosing not to voice an opinion, whereas is stil might simply mean the room lacks physical noise.
Can I combine these two statements into a single sentence separated by a comma?
Yes, you can write De minister is aanwezig, niettemin zwijgt het parlement. Even when joined by a comma, niettemin is an adverb starting a new main clause, so the inversion (zwijgt het parlement) is still strictly required.
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