Actions as Subjects
In English, verbs ending in "-ing" often act as the subject of a sentence (like "swimming" or "sleeping"). In Danish, you can achieve this by placing det at in front of an infinitive verb.
This structure translates to "the act of doing something" and turns an action into a subject.
| Sleeping deeply helps a lot. | Det at sove dybt hjælper meget. |
| Meditating reduces stress. | Det at meditere reducerer stress. |
Expanding the Phrase
You can include objects, adverbs, or prepositional phrases to create a more detailed subject. The entire det at phrase occupies the first position in the sentence, so the main verb comes immediately after it to satisfy the V2 rule.
| Stretching the body improves digestion. | Det at strække kroppen forbedrer fordøjelsen. |
| Getting the pulse up is a good habit. | Det at få pulsen op er en god vane. |
| Focusing on the breath gives more energy. | Det at fokusere på åndedrættet giver mere energi. |
Inside Subordinate Clauses
You can also use a det at phrase as the subject of a subordinate clause.
When the clause is introduced by the conjunction at (that), you will see at and det at right next to each other. Don't let this confuse you: the first at links the clauses together, while det at introduces the subject.
| She knows that running always improves digestion. | Hun ved at det at løbe altid forbedrer fordøjelsen. |
| We have begun to understand that relaxing lowers the pulse. | Vi er begyndt at forstå at det at slappe af reducerer pulsen. |