Breakdown of Waar we dan ook speuren, we vinden nooit een goede platenspeler.
een
a/an
ook
also / -ever (concessive particle)
vinden
to find
waar
where
Questions & Answers about Waar we dan ook speuren, we vinden nooit een goede platenspeler.
How does waar ... dan ook work here to mean "wherever"?
In Dutch, combining a question word like waar (where) with dan ook (or sometimes just ook) creates an indefinite meaning, much like English words ending in "-ever". So, waar ... dan ook translates to "wherever." You will also see this pattern with wie dan ook (whoever) and wat dan ook (whatever). The dan ook part usually sits after the subject and any object pronouns.
Why is the second clause we vinden instead of vinden we? Shouldn't the first clause trigger inversion?
You would normally expect the main clause to start with the verb (vinden we) because the sentence starts with a subordinate clause. However, clauses built with indefinite phrases like waar ... dan ook or wie ... ook are often treated grammatically as "loose" or completely independent from the main sentence. Because the first clause doesn't "occupy" the first grammatical position of the main sentence, the main clause keeps the standard subject-verb order (we vinden).
Could I just use zoeken instead of speuren here?
Yes, zoeken (to search / to look for) would be perfectly correct and natural. However, speuren implies a more intense, active, or systematic hunt—like tracking something down, scouring, or sleuthing. Using it emphasizes just how thoroughly they are looking for a good record player.
Just a quick refresher: why does get an after ?