ookal
- even though,despite that
Ook al investeert de regering, de crisis lijkt onafwendbaar.- Even if the government invests, crisis seems inevitable.
We zijn goed bezig,ook al zeggen ze van niet.- We are doing things right,even though people say we’re not.
In contrast with its synonyms ‘ofschoon’ and ‘(al)hoewel’,ook al causes aninversion of the finite verb in the subclause which it governs, but requires there to beno inversion in the accompanying main clause. Compare:
- Ofschoon de regeringinvesteert,lijkt de crisis onafwendbaar.
- Ook alinvesteert de regering, de crisislijkt onafwendbaar.
Ook al may be shortened toal, which possesses the same grammatical characteristics.
