Breakdown of Naarmate de jongen ouder werd, wilde hij volwassen lijken.
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
de jongen
the boy
oud
old
willen
to want
Questions & Answers about Naarmate de jongen ouder werd, wilde hij volwassen lijken.
How does naarmate dictate the word order of de jongen ouder werd?
Naarmate is a subordinating conjunction, which means it introduces a dependent clause. In Dutch, this forces the conjugated verb in that clause (werd) to move to the very end, placing it after the comparative adjective ouder.
Could I use terwijl instead of naarmate here, since both can translate to "as"?
No, because they express different relationships. Terwijl means "while" (two independent actions happening at the exact same time). Naarmate specifically means "in proportion as" or "gradually as". You use naarmate when one changing condition (getting older) parallels another gradual change (wanting to seem mature).
Why is the second half of the sentence wilde hij instead of hij wilde?
This happens because of the "verb second" rule. The entire dependent clause (Naarmate de jongen ouder werd) acts as the first block of information in the sentence. To keep the main verb in the second position, the main clause must start with the verb (wilde), followed by the subject (hij).
Why is lijken at the very end of the sentence instead of next to wilde?