Indirect Wh-Questions
When you embed a question word like hvad (what), hvor (where), hvem (who), hvorfor (why), or hvordan (how) inside a larger sentence, you create an indirect question. You will use these often when gathering information or asking for explanations.
| The researcher is investigating what the cause is. | Forskeren undersøger hvad årsagen er. |
| Can you explain why the investigation is important? | Kan du forklare hvorfor undersøgelsen er vigtig? |
Subordinate Clause Word Order
Because an indirect question is a subordinate clause, it does not use the inverted word order (verb followed by subject) of a normal direct question. Instead, it follows standard subordinate clause word order where the subject comes before the verb.
| I do not understand where she finds the explanation. | Jeg forstår ikke hvor hun finder forklaringen. |
| He considers where the information comes from. | Han overvejer hvor oplysningen kommer fra. |
If the indirect question includes a central adverb like ikke (not), remember that in subordinate clauses, the central adverb is placed directly between the subject and the verb.
| She wonders why he does not read the article. | Hun undrer sig over hvorfor han ikke læser artiklen. |
| The teacher does not know why she does not understand the explanation. | Læreren ved ikke hvorfor hun ikke forstår forklaringen. |
Prepositions and Indirect Questions
Just as we saw in the previous lesson, indirect questions can directly follow prepositions. Phrasal verbs like at snakke om (to talk about) or at gætte på (to guess) connect right into the question word without needing any extra linking words.
| We are talking about how we can investigate the connection. | Vi snakker om hvordan vi kan undersøge sammenhængen. |
| The expert guesses how much it costs. | Eksperten gætter på hvor meget det koster. |
