Breakdown of Toget er ikke ankommet til perronen fordi afgangen er forsinket.
være
to be
ikke
not
til
to (preposition) / for (purpose) / at (an event or occasion) / at (good at something)
toget
the train
ankomme
to arrive
fordi
because
forsinket
delayed
perronen
the platform
afgangen
the departure
Questions & Answers about Toget er ikke ankommet til perronen fordi afgangen er forsinket.
Why does this sentence say er ikke ankommet instead of har ikke ankommet?
This is because of the verb ankomme (to arrive). In Danish, verbs that describe movement from one place to another, or a change of state, use at være (to be) as their helping verb in the present perfect tense. So instead of saying 'has arrived', Danish literally says 'is arrived' (er ankommet).
Why does ikke go between er and ankommet?
In a standard Danish main clause, the adverb ikke (not) is placed immediately after the first conjugated verb. Here, the helping verb er is the first verb, so ikke must come right after it, separating it from the past participle ankommet.
Why use the preposition til instead of på or ved for 'at the platform'?
When you arrive somewhere in Danish, the movement is directed towards a destination. Because of this sense of motion, Danish pairs the verb ankomme with the preposition til (to), even though in English you usually say 'arrive at'.
Is forsinket acting as a verb or an adjective here?
It acts as an adjective describing afgangen (the departure). Forsinket (delayed) is the past participle of the verb at forsinke (to delay). Since en afgang is a common-gender noun, the adjective takes the standard form without needing any special plural or neuter endings.
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