Breakdown of Deze oppas is weliswaar prijzig, maar ze is erg liefdevol.
zijn
to be
maar
but
erg
very / really
deze
this / these
ze
they; she (unstressed form of zij) / them (object)
de oppas
the babysitter
weliswaar
admittedly / true (conceding a point)
prijzig
pricey
liefdevol
loving / affectionate
Questions & Answers about Deze oppas is weliswaar prijzig, maar ze is erg liefdevol.
What is the exact function of weliswaar ... maar in this sentence?
It sets up a concession and a counter-argument, similar to "admittedly... but" or "it's true that... but" in English. The word weliswaar acknowledges a negative or opposing point (prijzig), while maar introduces the more important positive point that outweighs it (erg liefdevol).
Could I start the sentence with weliswaar?
Yes, you can. If you put it at the start for emphasis, it triggers inversion (verb before subject) in the first clause. The sentence would become: Weliswaar is deze oppas prijzig, maar ze is erg liefdevol.
Why doesn't maar push the verb is to the end of the sentence here?
Because maar is a coordinating conjunction. It links two independent main clauses without altering their internal word order. You just use standard subject-verb order after it: ze (subject) + is (verb). Learners sometimes confuse its behavior with subordinating conjunctions like hoewel (although), which do push the verb to the end.
What is the difference between prijzig and duur?
They are synonyms, but prijzig (pricey) is a bit more conversational and feels slightly softer than duur (expensive). It is easily formed from the noun prijs (price) plus the suffix -ig.
How would the grammar change if I expressed this same idea using hoewel (although)?
If you use hoewel, you drop both weliswaar and maar. Because hoewel introduces a subclause, it pushes the verb to the end of that clause, and then triggers inversion in the main clause. It would be: Hoewel deze oppas prijzig is, is ze erg liefdevol.
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