Breakdown of Het kan ook andersom: eerst de bebouwing, dan het groen.
de bebouwing
the built environment
andersom
the other way round
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Questions & Answers about Het kan ook andersom: eerst de bebouwing, dan het groen.
Where is the main verb in Het kan ook andersom?
In Dutch, modal verbs like kunnen (can/to be able to) are often used without an infinitive main verb if the context is obvious. Het kan simply means "It is possible" or "It can be done." You don't need to add a verb like zijn (to be) or gebeuren (to happen) at the end.
The lesson focuses on contrasting pairs like enerzijds ... anderzijds. Is eerst ..., dan ... working the same way here?
Exactly! Just like enerzijds ... anderzijds (on the one hand ... on the other hand) balances two contrasting ideas, eerst ... dan ... (first ... then ...) acts as a correlative connector showing a strict sequence. In this sentence, this paired structure clearly spells out the two contrasting steps of the flipped order.
Could I use a word like omgekeerd instead of andersom here?
Yes, omgekeerd (reversed) would also work perfectly. However, andersom is very common in everyday speech to mean "the other way around" or "vice versa," especially when talking about flipping the order or position of two things.
Why does the sentence use de bebouwing instead of just saying de gebouwen?