Questions & Answers about Da pigen begyndte i folkeskolen, var hun meget genert.
Why do we use da for "when" here instead of når?
In Danish, da is used for a specific event that happened once in the past. når is used for things that happen repeatedly (like "whenever") or in the future. Since starting primary school is a single past event, we must use da.
Why does the second half of the sentence say var hun instead of hun var?
This is because of the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire first phrase (Da pigen begyndte i folkeskolen) counts as the first block of information. To keep the main verb in the second position, the verb var swaps places with the subject hun.
Why is there an i after begyndte?
In English you just "start school", but in Danish, when talking about starting at an institution, workplace, or class, you usually use the preposition i. So, begyndte i folkeskolen literally means "started in the primary school".
What exactly is folkeskolen?
It translates literally to "the people's school" and refers to the Danish public school system for children. Notice the -en ending on the word folkeskole, which makes it the definite form meaning "the primary school".