Expressing "Instead of" with i stedet for at
To talk about making an alternative choice, English uses "instead of" followed by an "-ing" verb. Danish uses i stedet for followed by at and the infinitive.
| We usually choose environmentally friendly transport instead of flying. | Vi plejer at vælge miljøvenlig transport i stedet for at flyve. |
Notice how i stedet for at flyve translates to "instead of flying".
Use this structure to discuss everyday alternatives, such as choosing sustainable habits:
| Can the consumer minimize the waste instead of polluting more? | Kan forbrugeren minimere affaldet i stedet for at forurene mere? |
| Why do they buy sustainable packaging instead of using plastic? | Hvorfor køber de bæredygtig emballage i stedet for at bruge plastik? |
| We would rather reduce our consumption instead of buying new things. | Vi vil hellere reducere vores forbrug i stedet for at købe nye ting. |
| You must protect the climate instead of polluting nature. | Du skal beskytte klimaet i stedet for at forurene naturen. |
With a verb or with a noun
I stedet for needs at only when a verb follows. Before a noun it stands on its own: Vi spiser fisk i stedet for kød.
| + verb | + noun |
|---|---|
| i stedet for at stege kødet | i stedet for kødet |
The verb after at is always the bare infinitive, whatever the tense of the main verb:
| Would you rather eat a meat-free dinner instead of frying the meat? | Vil I hellere spise en kødfri middag i stedet for at stege kødet? |
| He usually reuses things instead of throwing them away. | Han plejer at genbruge ting i stedet for at smide dem ud. |
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