zij het dat

Be It That

Level 6

The phrase zij het dat is a formal way to say 'although' or 'with the caveat that.' It is used in high-level writing to add a specific limitation to a previous point.

How It Works

In formal written Dutch, zij het dat functions as a restrictive concession. It acknowledges a fact that nuances or slightly limits the main statement without invalidating it.

1. Structure and Word Order
The phrase acts as a subordinating conjunction. You must place the conjugated verb at the very end of the clause it introduces. It is almost always preceded by a comma.

2. Zij het vs. Zij het dat
It is crucial to distinguish between these two:

  • Zij het: Used to qualify adjectives or nouns directly (e.g., een kleine, zij het belangrijke, stap).
  • Zij het dat: Used to introduce a full clause with its own subject and verb.

3. Register
This is a Level 6 (C1/C2) pattern. You will encounter it in legal documents, academic papers, and quality journalism. It is rarely, if ever, used in casual conversation, where speakers prefer hoewel or maar.

Examples (4)

  1. Het plan werd goedgekeurd, zij het dat er nog enkele wijzigingen moeten worden aangebracht.

    The plan was approved, albeit that some changes still need to be made.

    Word by Word: The plan was approved, be it that there still some changes must be applied.

    Notice how the verbs 'moeten worden aangebracht' are clustered at the end because of the 'dat' in the conjunction.

  2. De nieuwe versie is qua inhoud ongewijzigd, zij het dat de bekende fouten zijn verholpen.

    The new version is unchanged in content, though it must be said that the known errors have been fixed.

    Word by Word: The new version is regarding content unchanged, be it that the known errors are fixed.

    Here, 'zij het dat' introduces a specific improvement that qualifies the 'unchanged' status of the document.

  3. Zij zijn eveneens beoefenaars, zij het dat zij professionele beoefenaars zijn.

    They are also practitioners, except that they are professional ones.

    Word by Word: They are likewise practitioners, be it that they professional practitioners are.

    This highlights a distinction between the subjects and others, using formal restrictive logic.

  4. De economie groeit weer, zij het dat het tempo laag blijft.

    The economy is growing again, albeit that the pace remains low.

    Word by Word: The economy grows again, be it that the pace low remains.

    The main clause is positive, but 'zij het dat' introduces the limiting factor (the slow pace).

Common Mistakes

  • Using main clause word order after 'dat'.

    Het werkt, zij het dat het is erg duur.
    Het werkt, zij het dat het erg duur is.

    Because the phrase ends in 'dat', it requires subordinate word order (verb at the end).

  • Confusing 'zij' (subjunctive be) with 'zei' (said).

    Zei het dat hij ziek was...
    Zij het dat hij ziek was...

    Even though they sound the same, 'zij' is the archaic form of 'zijn' (to be). 'Zei' is the past tense of 'zeggen' (to say) and is incorrect here.

  • Omitting 'dat' when a full clause follows.

    Hij kwam op tijd, zij het hij was moe.
    Hij kwam op tijd, zij het dat hij moe was.

    If you follow the expression with a subject and a verb, you must include 'dat'. Use 'zij het' only for adjectives or short phrases.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

zij het datLevel 6Be It That

Learn This First

To understand 'zij het dat' (be it that/albeit), learners need to recognize it as a formal concessive marker. It requires knowledge of how 'dat' functions to introduce subordinate clauses, the specific word order rules for those clauses, and an awareness of archaic subjunctive forms like 'zij' which are still used in fixed formal expressions.

Words in This Pattern