Breakdown of Hvorfor er passageren gået til perronen?
være
to be
til
to (preposition) / for (purpose) / at (an event or occasion) / at (good at something)
gå
to walk / to go / to go out, to fail (of power)
hvorfor
why?
perronen
the platform
passageren
the passenger
Questions & Answers about Hvorfor er passageren gået til perronen?
Why does this sentence use er instead of har to mean has?
In Danish, verbs that describe motion from one place to another or a change of state, like at gå (to go/walk), use a form of at være (to be) as their helper verb in the present perfect tense. So even though we say has gone in English, in Danish you must say er gået (literally is gone).
Why is the subject passageren right in the middle of er gået?
This happens because of the Danish V2 (verb-second) rule. In a question starting with a question word like Hvorfor, the verb must come second. When you have a two-part verb in the present perfect tense, only the helper verb (er) takes that second spot. The subject comes right after it, separating it from the past participle (gået).
Why do passageren and perronen end in -en?
Danish attaches the definite article (the word for the) to the end of the noun instead of putting it in front. Both passager (passenger) and perron (platform) are common gender nouns (en-words). To make them definite, you add -en to the end, creating passageren (the passenger) and perronen (the platform).
Does gået mean gone or walked here?
It means both! The Danish verb at gå means to walk but is also used very commonly to mean to go. Here, er gået tells us the passenger has gone to the platform, and naturally implies that they made the journey on foot.
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