ook al

Conjunction

 * 1) even though, despite that

Usage notes
In contrast with its synonyms ‘ofschoon’ and ‘(al)hoewel’, ook al causes an inversion of the finite verb in the subclause which it governs, but requires there to be no inversion in the accompanying main clause. Compare: Ook al may be shortened to al, which possesses the same grammatical characteristics.
 * Ofschoon de regering investeert, lijkt de crisis onafwendbaar.
 * Ook al investeert de regering, de crisis lijkt onafwendbaar.