ondanks

Despite

Level 4

Ondanks is a preposition used to show a contrast between an obstacle and a result. It is the Dutch equivalent of 'despite' or 'in spite of'.

How It Works

The word ondanks is a concessive preposition. It is neutral to slightly formal and is very common in both spoken and written Dutch.

1. Usage with Nouns
In its most basic form, it precedes a noun or noun phrase: ondanks de regen (despite the rain). It does not change based on gender or number.

2. Word Order (Inversion)
When a sentence starts with an ondanks-phrase, it acts as the first element of the sentence. Because of the Dutch verb-second rule, the verb must come immediately after the phrase, followed by the subject.

3. Usage with Clauses (ondanks dat)
While ondanks dat is now standard as a conjunction to introduce a subordinate clause, some traditional style guides consider it informal. In academic or highly formal writing, it is better to use ondanks het feit dat (despite the fact that) or the conjunction hoewel.

4. Formal Alternatives
In very formal written style, you may encounter niettegenstaande. It functions exactly like ondanks but carries a much heavier, official tone.

5. Ondanks vs. Desondanks
Do not confuse ondanks with desondanks. Ondanks looks forward to a noun (Despite X...), while desondanks is an adverb that looks backward to a previous sentence (X happened. Nevertheless...).

Examples (4)

  1. Ondanks de kou gingen we wandelen.

    Despite the cold, we went for a walk.

    Word by Word: Despite the cold went we walk.

    Notice the inversion: the verb 'gingen' comes before the subject 'we' because the sentence starts with the 'ondanks' phrase.

  2. We hebben de wedstrijd gewonnen, ondanks de blessures.

    We won the match, despite the injuries.

    Word by Word: We have the match won, despite the injuries.

    Here, 'ondanks' is placed in the middle of the sentence, so no inversion is needed in the main clause.

  3. Ondanks dat het regende, bleven ze buiten.

    Despite the fact that it was raining, they stayed outside.

    Word by Word: Despite that it rained, stayed they outside.

    Using 'ondanks dat' allows for a full subordinate clause with the verb 'regende' at the end.

  4. Hij is altijd vrolijk, ondanks zijn drukke baan.

    He is always cheerful, despite his busy job.

    Word by Word: He is always cheerful, despite his busy job.

    A simple prepositional usage followed by a noun phrase.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting inversion when starting a sentence with 'ondanks'.

    Ondanks de regen we gingen naar buiten.
    Ondanks de regen gingen we naar buiten.

    In Dutch, the conjugated verb must be the second element. The entire 'ondanks' phrase counts as the first element.

  • Using 'ondanks' as a conjunction without 'dat'.

    Ondanks hij ziek was, kwam hij toch.
    Ondanks dat hij ziek was, kwam hij toch.

    If you want to follow 'ondanks' with a subject and a verb, you must add 'dat' to turn it into a conjunction.

How It Connects

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

ondanksLevel 4Despite

Learn This First

To use 'ondanks' (despite), you need to understand how prepositions function in Dutch, specifically how they precede noun phrases. It is also helpful to understand basic contrastive logic in sentences before moving to this more formal concessive preposition.

Words in This Pattern

ondanks