Breakdown of Waar we ook op stuiten, de sensatie maakt ons onvermoeibaar.
ook
also / -ever (concessive particle)
maken
to make
waar
where
ons
us (object)
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
onvermoeibaar
tireless
stuiten op
to stumble upon
de sensatie
the thrill
Questions & Answers about Waar we ook op stuiten, de sensatie maakt ons onvermoeibaar.
The English translation says "Whatever", so why does the Dutch sentence start with Waar instead of Wat?
This happens because of the preposition op. The verb used here is stuiten op (to stumble upon). In Dutch, when wat (what) is combined with a preposition, it transforms into waar (where). Instead of "wat... op", Dutch requires the pronominal adverb waarop, which is why the sentence starts with Waar.
Why are waar and op separated by we ook?
In Dutch, pronominal adverbs like waarop are often split. In universal concessive clauses like this one, the subject (we) and the word ook almost always squeeze directly between waar and the preposition. This pushes the preposition (op) toward the end of the clause, right next to the verb (stuiten).
The sentence starts with a subordinate clause, so why isn't there inversion in the main clause (de sensatie maakt instead of maakt de sensatie)?
This is a special exception! Normally, if a sentence starts with a subordinate clause, it takes up the "first position" and forces the main clause to invert (Verb-Subject). However, "whatever/whoever" clauses with ook frequently act as an independent, introductory phrase that sits completely outside the main sentence structure. Because of this, the main clause just uses standard Subject-Verb word order.
How is the word onvermoeibaar constructed?
It is made of three recognizable parts: the negative prefix on- (un-), the stem of the verb vermoeien (to tire / to exhaust), and the suffix -baar (-able). Put together, it literally translates to "untireable" (tireless).
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