Breakdown of Vi blev hjemme fordi han ikke havde låst bilen.
han
he
bilen
the car
vi
we
have
to have
ikke
not
blive
to stay / to become
hjemme
at home
fordi
because
låse
to lock
Questions & Answers about Vi blev hjemme fordi han ikke havde låst bilen.
Why do we use havde låst instead of var låst for the past perfect here?
In Danish, most verbs use havde to form the past perfect tense, just like in English. You only use var for verbs that describe a change of state or moving from one place to another. Since locking a car isn't a movement, we use havde.
Why is the word order ikke havde låst and not havde ikke låst?
Because fordi starts a subordinate clause (a dependent sentence). In Danish subordinate clauses, adverbs like ikke must be placed before the first verb. If this were a main independent sentence, the rule is different and it would be Han havde ikke låst bilen.
I thought blev translated to became. Why does it mean stayed in this sentence?
The verb at blive (past tense blev) does mean to become, but it is also the standard word for to stay or to remain. When you use it with a location, like in Vi blev hjemme, it means we stayed at home.
Why do we use hjemme instead of just hjem?
Danish uses hjemme when you are stationary or already at home. You use hjem when there is movement involved, like walking to your house. Since the people in this sentence stayed in one place, hjemme is the correct choice.
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