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We voerden het plan uit, hoewel het tijdrovend was.

We voerden het plan uit, hoewel het tijdrovend was.
We carried out the plan, although it was time-consuming.
FromLesson 38inHardcore Dutch

Breakdown of We voerden het plan uit, hoewel het tijdrovend was.

zijn
to be
wij
we
het
it
het plan
the plan
hoewel
although
uitvoeren
to carry out
tijdrovend
time-consuming

Questions & Answers about We voerden het plan uit, hoewel het tijdrovend was.

Why is the separable verb uitvoeren split into voerden … uit in the main clause?
Uitvoeren is a separable verb: the prefix uit- attaches to voeren, but in a main clause it detaches and moves to the end. In the imperfectum (simple past) plural the root past form is voerden, so you get voerden het plan uit.
Why is the simple past (imperfectum) used here instead of the present perfect (perfectum)?
Dutch often uses the imperfectum to narrate past events, especially in written or formal contexts. The perfectum (e.g. We hebben het plan uitgevoerd) also works but tends to highlight the result or current relevance. The imperfectum simply reports the action as a past fact.
Why does the finite verb was appear at the end of the clause hoewel het tijdrovend was?
Hoewel is a subordinating conjunction (“although”), and subordinate clauses in Dutch use verb-final (SOV) word order. That means the finite verb (was) goes to the very end of the clause.
What’s the difference between hoewel and alhoewel?
Both mean “although.” Alhoewel is slightly more formal or archaic; hoewel is more common in everyday modern Dutch. There’s no change in word order or meaning.
Can I replace hoewel with ondanks?

Ondanks is a preposition, not a conjunction. You cannot say Ondanks het tijdrovend was. You can use:

  • Ondanks dat het tijdrovend was, voerden we het plan uit. (preposition + dat
    • subordinate clause)
  • Ondanks het tijdrovende karakter, voerden we het plan uit. (preposition + noun phrase)
Is the comma before hoewel mandatory?
In formal written Dutch, you normally place a comma before a subordinate clause introduced by hoewel. In informal writing or speech you might omit it, but it’s clearer and more standard to include the comma.
Can I move the hoewel clause to the front of the sentence?

Yes. Fronting the subordinate clause is fine:
Hoewel het tijdrovend was, voerden we het plan uit.
After the comma, you start the main clause anew; the finite verb (voerden) then occupies the first or second position in that main clause, depending on how you count the subordinate clause as a unit.

Could I use is instead of was in the hoewel clause?

Yes—if you want to indicate that it remains time-consuming now.
We voerden het plan uit, hoewel het tijdrovend is.
Use was when you refer strictly to the past event, is if the quality continues in the present.

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