Breakdown of Jeg tænker på pensionen når jeg arbejder.
jeg
I
arbejde
to work
på
on / at / in (a language) / of (after nouns like end or start)
når
when
tænke
to think (ponder)
pensionen
the pension
Questions & Answers about Jeg tænker på pensionen når jeg arbejder.
Why do we use når for "when" here instead of da?
In Danish, når is used for things that happen in the present, the future, or repeatedly (whenever). Because thinking about the pension while working is an ongoing or repeated habit in the present, we use når. You only use da for a single event in the past.
Why is "think about" translated as tænker på here? Doesn't om also mean "about"?
Yes, but they have different meanings! Use tænker på when your mind is simply focused on something, like daydreaming or contemplating. Use tænker om when you are forming an opinion or asking what someone thinks of something. Here, the speaker is just having the pension in their thoughts, so på is correct.
Why is it pensionen and not just pension?
Pensionen is the definite form, meaning "the pension" or "the retirement". In Danish, it is very common to use the definite form when talking about your own retirement in a general sense, just like in the English translation.
What would happen to the word order if we started the sentence with the når part?
If you swap the clauses and start with Når jeg arbejder (When I work), that entire phrase counts as the first block of information. Because of the Danish verb-second rule, the main verb must come right after it: Når jeg arbejder, tænker jeg på pensionen. Notice how tænker now comes before jeg!
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