Learn Dutch: De werkdruk is hoog; we blijven dan ook klagen. - The work pressure is high; therefore, we keep complaining.

It acts as a consequential particle cluster meaning 'therefore' or 'as a result'. It emphasizes that because the work pressure is high, the complaining is a completely logical and unsurprising consequence.

Why is dan ook placed after the verb instead of at the start of the second clause?

Unlike 'therefore' in English, which often starts a clause, dan ook belongs in the 'middle field' of the Dutch sentence. It is placed after the subject (we) and the conjugated verb (blijven). Placing it here connects the two ideas smoothly without forcing the word order to change.

Could I use dus instead of the semicolon and dan ook?

Yes, you could say ...hoog, dus we blijven klagen or ...hoog, dus blijven we klagen. However, separating the independent clauses with a semicolon and using dan ook sounds a bit more sophisticated and strongly stresses that the result is self-evident.

I know blijven means 'to stay', so why does it mean 'keep' here?

When the verb blijven is used directly with another infinitive (klagen), it functions as an auxiliary verb meaning 'to keep doing' or 'to continue doing' an action. Therefore, blijven klagen simply translates to 'keep complaining'.