Breakdown of Hij is weliswaar zorgzaam, maar ook een beetje veeleisend.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
ook
also / -ever (concessive particle)
maar
but
een beetje
a bit
weliswaar
admittedly / true (conceding a point)
zorgzaam
caring
veeleisend
demanding (making high demands)
Questions & Answers about Hij is weliswaar zorgzaam, maar ook een beetje veeleisend.
How does the weliswaar ... maar structure work here?
It functions just like "admittedly ... but" or "true ... but" in English. The word weliswaar sets up a concession (acknowledging he is caring), which prepares the listener for the contrast or downside introduced by maar (he is demanding).
Could I start the sentence with weliswaar?
Yes, you can put it at the start for extra emphasis. If you do, remember that it triggers inversion because it is an adverb taking the first position. The sentence would become: Weliswaar is hij zorgzaam, maar ook...
Why are the subject and verb missing after maar?
Because maar is a coordinating conjunction linking two equal parts, you do not need to repeat the subject (hij) and the verb (is) if they remain exactly the same. You could say ...maar hij is ook een beetje veeleisend, but dropping the repeated words sounds much more natural.
How is the adjective veeleisend formed?
It is a combination of veel (much or many) and eisend (the present participle of the verb eisen, which means to demand or require). Literally, it means "much-demanding".
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