Breakdown of Wanneer het apparaat ook piept, de onvermoeibare schatzoeker voelt de sensatie.
ook
also / -ever (concessive particle)
wanneer
when
het apparaat
the appliance / device
voelen
to feel (something) / to seem/feel (a certain way)
de schatzoeker
the treasure hunter
piepen
to beep
onvermoeibaar
tireless
de sensatie
the thrill
Questions & Answers about Wanneer het apparaat ook piept, de onvermoeibare schatzoeker voelt de sensatie.
How does Wanneer ... ook work here, and why is the verb at the end of that part?
The phrase Wanneer ... ook translates to "whenever" or "no matter when". It creates a universal concessive clause. Like most subclauses in Dutch, it forces its verbs to the end, which is why piept sits at the end of the phrase before the comma.
Wait, shouldn't the second part be voelt de onvermoeibare schatzoeker since the sentence starts with a subclause?
Normally, yes! Starting a sentence with a subclause usually triggers inversion (verb before subject) in the main clause. However, universal concessive clauses with ook are a special exception. They act like an independent, extra thought outside the main sentence structure, so the main clause just keeps its regular subject-verb word order: de onvermoeibare schatzoeker voelt.
How is the word onvermoeibare formed?
It is built from the prefix on- (un-), the verb vermoeien (to tire), and the suffix -baar (-able), creating onvermoeibaar (tireless). It gets an -e at the end here because it comes after the definite article de and modifies the noun schatzoeker.
Could I use altijd als instead of wanneer ... ook?
They are similar in meaning but have different grammar and nuance. Altijd als het apparaat piept means "Every time the device beeps" and acts as a standard subclause, meaning it WOULD trigger inversion in the main clause. Wanneer het apparaat ook piept emphasizes "No matter when it happens" and skips the inversion.
Learn Wanneer het apparaat ook piept, de onvermoeibare schatzoeker voelt de sensatie and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free