Breakdown of Forskeren undersøger hvad årsagen er.
være
to be
hvad
what
forskeren
the researcher
undersøge
to investigate, to examine (also a patient)
Questions & Answers about Forskeren undersøger hvad årsagen er.
Why is it hvad årsagen er instead of hvad er årsagen?
Because hvad årsagen er is an indirect question. Indirect questions act as subordinate clauses, meaning they depend on the main sentence (Forskeren undersøger). In Danish subordinate clauses, the subject (årsagen) must come before the verb (er). If you were asking a direct, standalone question, the verb would come first: Hvad er årsagen? (What is the cause?).
How is the word forskeren built?
It starts with the verb at forske (to research). You turn it into a person by adding -er to get en forsker (a researcher). Because the sentence says "the researcher", we add the definite ending -en, making it forskeren.
Why use the verb undersøger instead of forsker here?
At undersøge means to examine, look into, or investigate a specific thing, which makes perfect sense when trying to find a specific cause. At forske is used for conducting general academic or scientific research. A researcher (en forsker) will often investigate (undersøge) specific details while doing their broader research.
What is the base form of the word årsagen?
The base word is en årsag, which is a common gender noun meaning "a cause" or "a reason". By adding the -en suffix, it becomes the definite form årsagen (the cause).