Expressing Contrast with på trods af at and til trods for at
In Danish, you can express contrast or unexpected outcomes using the subordinating conjunctions på trods af at and til trods for at. They both mean "despite the fact that" or "even though" and can be used interchangeably in a sentence.
Word Order with Concessive Clauses
Because these conjunctions introduce subordinate clauses, you need to pay close attention to your word order. The rules are the same as with time clauses:
- If the main clause comes first, use standard word order (subject, then verb).
- If the sentence starts with the subordinate clause, the main clause must invert its word order (verb, then subject) to keep the main verb in the second position (the V2 rule).
Here are examples where the main clause comes first, using standard word order:
| The animal will starve, despite the fact that we have food. | Dyret vil sulte på trods af at vi har mad. |
| The brave girl does not want to give up, despite the fact that she is tired. | Den modige pige vil ikke opgive til trods for at hun er træt. |
| We want to explore nature, despite the fact that we saw a polar bear. | Vi vil udforske naturen på trods af at vi så en isbjørn. |
And here is what happens when you start the sentence with the subordinate clause. Notice how the subject and verb flip in the second half of the sentence:
| Despite the fact that the hero was afraid, he wanted to explore the mountain. | På trods af at helten var bange, ville han udforske bjerget. |
| Despite the fact that the boy was tired, he had not given up the dream. | Til trods for at drengen var træt, havde han ikke opgivet drømmen. |
More Examples of Overcoming the Elements
As you explore stories of extreme expeditions, you will see these conjunctions used frequently to highlight bravery and survival. Here are a few more examples to help you practice:
| Despite the fact that the weather was bad, the expedition had survived the cold. | På trods af at vejret var dårligt, havde ekspeditionen overlevet kulden. |
| The participants will never give up, despite the fact that they are afraid. | Deltagerne vil aldrig opgive til trods for at de er bange. |
| Despite the fact that the brave hero was alone, she had survived the storm. | På trods af at den modige helt var alene, havde hun overlevet stormen. |