When directing a professional ballet or managing any high-stakes situation, you often need to adapt your plans based on specific conditions. To state a logical premise—saying "given that" in Danish—use the phrase givet at.
Setting conditions and word order
The phrase givet at functions as a subordinating conjunction, introducing a dependent clause that establishes the facts the rest of your sentence will react to.
Because a givet at clause sets up a condition, it frequently appears at the very beginning of a sentence. When it does, that entire subordinate clause occupies the first position. To satisfy Danish's strict V2 (verb-second) rule, the main clause that immediately follows must invert its subject and verb.
Here is how the structure breaks down when placing the condition first:
- Position 1: The subordinate clause (e.g., Givet at solisten er syg)
- Position 2: The main verb (e.g., må)
- Position 3: The subject (e.g., vi)
| Given that the soloist is sick, we must change the choreography. | Givet at solisten er syg, må vi ændre koreografien. |
| Given that the leap is dangerous, we let him rest. | Givet at springet er farligt, lader vi ham hvile sig. |
Using premises in the past tense
This inversion rule applies naturally across different tenses. If the premise is set in the past, the main clause still perfectly obeys the V2 rule by placing the verb before the subject.
| Given that the pirouette was graceful, the director was satisfied. | Givet at piruetten var graciøs, var instruktøren tilfreds. |
Putting it together on stage
As you manage the choreography and the dancers, you will use stage vocabulary like generalprøven (the dress rehearsal). Combining these terms with givet at allows you to make swift, logical decisions for the production.
| Given that the dress rehearsal begins soon, you had better hurry. | Givet at generalprøven snart begynder, må I hellere skynde jer. |