Breakdown of Vi venter på dig hvis du ikke er klar.
være
to be
du
you
vi
we
ikke
not
dig
you (singular object)
vente på
to wait for
hvis
if
klar
ready
Questions & Answers about Vi venter på dig hvis du ikke er klar.
Why is ikke placed before er in the second half of the sentence?
The second half of the sentence, hvis du ikke er klar, is a subordinate clause (a sentence part that starts with a linking word like 'if' and cannot stand on its own). In these clauses, Danish rules say that ikke must come right before the verb (er). If it were a standalone sentence, it would be du er ikke klar.
Why do we use på after venter? Doesn't på usually mean 'on'?
While på often means 'on', prepositions don't always match up perfectly between languages. In Danish, the verb vente (to wait) takes the preposition på when you are waiting for someone or something. So 'waiting for you' is always venter på dig.
Why does the sentence use dig in the first part but du in the second part?
Both words mean 'you', but they have different roles. dig is an object pronoun, which must be used after a preposition like på. du is a subject pronoun, used when 'you' are the one doing the action, like being ready (du... er klar).
Why is there no Danish word for 'are' in 'are waiting'?
Danish does not have a continuous '-ing' tense. The single present tense word venter covers both 'wait' and 'are waiting'. You never use the Danish word for 'are' (er) to build a present tense verb.
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