Breakdown of Hvis oversvømmelsen kommer i aften, løber vi op ad bakken.
vi
we
komme
to come
løbe
to run
i aften
tonight
hvis
if
op ad
up (along)
bakken
the hill
oversvømmelsen
the flood
Questions & Answers about Hvis oversvømmelsen kommer i aften, løber vi op ad bakken.
Why is it løber vi instead of vi løber in the second half?
This is because of the V2 rule (verb-second rule). The entire condition clause (Hvis oversvømmelsen kommer i aften) counts as the first piece of information in the sentence. Therefore, the main verb (løber) must come exactly in the second position, pushing the subject (vi) right after it.
Why do we use the present tense verbs kommer and løber for an event happening tonight?
Just like in English, Danish frequently uses the present tense to talk about future conditions and plans. Because the time expression i aften (tonight) makes it clear we are talking about the future, you do not need to use a future tense construction.
What does the word ad do in the phrase op ad bakken?
While op means up, combining it with ad shows movement along a physical surface or route. The phrase op ad translates best to up along or upwards on the surface of. It is very common in Danish to pair ad with direction words to describe following a continuous path.
How do we get the ending on oversvømmelsen?
It is the definite form meaning the flood. The base noun is en oversvømmelse (a flood). Because this common-gender noun already ends in an e, you only need to add an -n to the end to make it definite.
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