Ondanks
Example: Ondanks de regen gingen we toch naar het park wandelen.
Definition
"Ondanks" is a Dutch preposition used to indicate that something happens even though there is an obstacle or contrary condition. For example, in the phrase "Ondanks de regen gingen we toch naar het park wandelen," it shows that the action occurred regardless of the rain.
Etymology
The Dutch word "ondanks" comes from the combination of "on-" (a prefix meaning 'not' or 'against') and "danks," which relates to 'thanks' or 'regard.' It originally conveyed the idea of 'not giving thanks to' or 'in defiance of.' Over time, it evolved to mean 'despite' or 'in spite of.' Did you know that "ondanks" literally suggests pushing forward without gratitude to obstacles?
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"Ondanks" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - (Mixed) - set 1", containing 20 commonly used words.
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