Breakdown of Hvor er mit værktøj? Jeg kan ikke reparere bilen.
jeg
I
være
to be
bilen
the car
ikke
not
hvor
where
min
my
kunne
to be able to / can
værktøjet
the tool
reparere
to repair
Questions & Answers about Hvor er mit værktøj? Jeg kan ikke reparere bilen.
Why is it "mit værktøj" instead of "mine" if the English translation says "tools" (plural)?
In Danish, værktøj is a neuter noun (et værktøj) that is often used as a singular mass noun to mean a collection of tools, much like the English word "equipment". Because it is grammatically singular and neuter, we use the matching possessive word mit (my).
Why does ikke (not) come between the two verbs?
This is the standard word order in Danish main clauses. When you have a helper verb like kan (can) and a main verb like reparere (repair), the negative word ikke goes right after the first verb and before the second verb.
How does the word bilen mean "the car"?
Instead of using a separate word for "the", Danish usually attaches an ending directly to the noun. The word for "a car" is en bil. To say "the car", you take that -en ending and stick it on the noun to make bilen.
Why does reparere end in an "e"?
The word reparere is in its infinitive (dictionary) form, which usually ends in -e in Danish. We leave it in this un-conjugated form because it follows the helper verb kan (can). Just like in English, you only conjugate the first verb in the chain!
Learn Hvor er mit værktøj? Jeg kan ikke reparere bilen and more in Danish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free