Breakdown of Hoe vaak hij de snaar ook had gestemd, de gitaar was vals.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
ook
also / -ever (concessive particle)
hebben
to have
vaak
often
hoe
how
de gitaar
the guitar
vals
out of tune
de snaar
the string
stemmen
to tune (an instrument)
Questions & Answers about Hoe vaak hij de snaar ook had gestemd, de gitaar was vals.
How does the structure hoe vaak ... ook create the meaning 'however often'?
In Dutch, you form a concessive degree clause (meaning 'no matter how X') by combining hoe with an adjective or adverb (like vaak), and placing ook later in the clause. The verbs are pushed to the end, just like in a normal subordinate clause.
Why is it de gitaar was vals instead of was de gitaar vals? Doesn't starting with a subordinate clause trigger inversion?
Normally, yes! Starting a sentence with a subordinate clause usually causes inversion in the main clause. However, concessive clauses starting with hoe ... ook are a notable exception. They can act as an independent introductory phrase, allowing the main clause to keep the standard Subject-Verb order (de gitaar was). Inversion (was de gitaar vals) is also perfectly correct and very common here.
Where exactly does ook need to go in the first clause?
It generally goes after the subject and any definite objects, but before the verbs at the end of the clause. Here, it is placed after the specific object de snaar and right before the verb cluster had gestemd.
I usually see vals translated as 'fake' or 'mean'. How is it used here?
In a musical context, vals specifically means 'out of tune'. If an instrument is tuned incorrectly, or if someone sings off-key, the Dutch say it sounds vals.
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