Breakdown of Barnet græder altid hvis det tordner om natten.
det
it (neuter)
barnet
the child
altid
always
græde
to cry
hvis
if
om
in, at (with times of day)
natten
the night
tordne
to thunder
Questions & Answers about Barnet græder altid hvis det tordner om natten.
Does the word hvis change the word order in the second part of the sentence?
It introduces a subordinate clause (a dependent sentence part). The basic word order here remains Subject + Verb: det tordner. However, it is good to remember that if you added a small adverb like ikke (not), it would jump in front of the verb in a subordinate clause: hvis det ikke tordner (if it does not thunder).
Is the word det referring back to barnet (the child)?
No, in this case, det is a placeholder subject used to talk about the weather, exactly like the word 'it' in the English phrase 'it thunders'. Since barnet is a neuter word, you would also use det if you wanted to refer back to the child, but here it is just about the weather.
Why do we use om natten for 'at night' instead of a literal translation?
In Danish, using the preposition om with times of day shows that something is a habit or happens repeatedly. The phrase om natten means 'at night' in general. If you used the phrase i nat, it would specifically mean 'last night' or 'tonight' depending on the verb tense.
Why does altid come after the verb græder in the first part of the sentence?
The first part of the sentence is a main clause. Danish main clauses follow the V2 rule, meaning the verb must be the second piece of information. Since Barnet is in position one, the verb græder must be in position two. Central adverbs like altid (always) come right after the verb in a main clause.
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