Breakdown of Zijn probleem is niet zozeer het oogcontact als wel het wiebelen.
zijn
to be
niet
not
het probleem
the problem
het
it
wel
indeed, surely (contrastive particle)
als
as (like / conjunction)
zozeer
so much
het oogcontact
the eye contact
wiebelen
to fidget
Questions & Answers about Zijn probleem is niet zozeer het oogcontact als wel het wiebelen.
How exactly does the structure niet zozeer ... als wel work in this sentence?
This is a fixed phrase that translates to 'not so much ... but rather'. It contrasts two things, showing that the first thing (het oogcontact) is less of an issue than the second thing (het wiebelen).
Could I use maar instead of als wel to say 'but rather'?
No, because als wel is the specific fixed partner to niet zozeer. Just like in English you say 'not so much A as B', in Dutch you must pair niet zozeer with als wel to express this specific type of contrast.
Why is the verb wiebelen used with the article het?
Here, wiebelen (to fidget or wobble) is being used as a noun to mean 'the fidgeting'. Whenever you turn a full infinitive verb into a noun in Dutch, it always takes the neuter article het.
What does zozeer mean on its own?
It is a combination of zo (so) and zeer (very or much). Written as one word, it means 'so much' or 'to such an extent' and is almost exclusively used in negative sentences like this one.
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