Ondanks
Example: Ondanks de regen gingen we toch naar het park wandelen.
Definition
"Ondanks" is a Dutch preposition used to indicate that something happens or is true even though there is an opposing condition or obstacle. For example, in the phrase "Ondanks de regen gingen we toch naar het park wandelen," it means 'despite the rain, we still went to walk in the park.'
Etymology
The Dutch word "ondanks" comes from combining 'on-' meaning 'against' or 'not,' and 'danks,' related to 'thanks' or 'gratitude.' Originally, it implied acting 'against thanks' or 'in spite of,' which evolved into its current meaning of 'despite' or 'although.' Did you know? This word neatly captures the idea of going forward even when circumstances are unfavorable.
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"Ondanks" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - (B1) - set 1", containing 119 commonly used words.
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