Breakdown of Wij lopen een blokje om, al is het maar vijf minuten.
een
a/an
wij
we
vijf
five
lopen
to walk
de minuut
minute
om
around
al is het maar
even if just / if only
het blokje
the block (used for a short walk)
Questions & Answers about Wij lopen een blokje om, al is het maar vijf minuten.
Why is the word order is het rather than het is after al?
When al is used as a concessive conjunction meaning "even if" or "although", it triggers inversion in the clause that follows it. Instead of the standard subordinate clause word order where the verb goes to the end, the verb and subject are inverted. That is why we see al is het maar.
How do the words al and maar work together in this phrase?
al provides the "even if" meaning, and maar acts as an adverb meaning "only" or "just". Together with the inverted verb, al is het maar forms a highly common set structure expressing a minimal condition or concession: "even if it is just" or "if only".
Is the verb here the separable verb omlopen?
It is related, but it is best to learn een blokje om (around the block) as a fixed directional phrase. Because it acts as a unit of direction, you will often see it paired with other motion verbs too, such as wij gaan een blokje om or wij fietsen een blokje om.
If I want to talk about a past event ("We walked..."), does the al is het maar part change?
Yes, you generally match the tenses. If the main clause shifts to the past tense, as in Wij liepen een blokje om, the second clause should change to al was het maar vijf minuten (even if it was just five minutes).
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