Breakdown of Deze robuuste, zij het oude, machine moet veel sneller werken.
oud
old
veel
much / many / a lot of
werken
to work
snel
fast
Questions & Answers about Deze robuuste, zij het oude, machine moet veel sneller werken.
Why does oude have an -e at the end after zij het?
Even though it is introduced by zij het (albeit), oude is still an adjective modifying the noun machine, just like robuuste. Because it follows the demonstrative pronoun deze and modifies a de-word, it takes the standard -e ending. You can think of it as describing "deze robuuste (and) oude machine."
What literally is zij het? It looks like "she it" or "they it".
It is actually an old subjunctive form of the verb zijn (to be). Literally, it translates to "be it" (similar to the English expression "be that as it may"). In modern Dutch, zij het is a fixed, fossilized phrase meaning "albeit" or "even if it is." You never change or conjugate it.
Does zij het always have to be sandwiched between adjectives like this?
No, though it is a very natural and elegant way to use it! You can also place it after the noun as a short noun phrase, such as Deze robuuste machine, zij het een oud model, moet.... If you want to follow it with a full clause containing a subject and a verb, you must add dat to form zij het dat (albeit that / even though).
Why is it veel sneller and not vele snellere?