Word
Opførslen er et problem fordi hun ofte griner.
Meaning
The behavior is a problem because she often laughs.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Opførslen er et problem fordi hun ofte griner.
være
to be
hun
she
et
a / an (neuter)
problemet
the problem
Questions & Answers about Opførslen er et problem fordi hun ofte griner.
Why is the word order hun ofte griner instead of hun griner ofte?
Because fordi hun ofte griner is a subordinate clause. In a normal main clause, central adverbs like ofte (often), altid (always), or aldrig (never) come after the verb. But in subordinate clauses, these adverbs must be placed right before the verb.
Why is opførslen spelled without a second 'e' (instead of opførselen)?
The base dictionary word is en opførsel (a behavior). In Danish, when a noun ends in -el, -en, or -er, the final e is usually dropped when you add the definite ending. So, opførsel plus en becomes opførslen.
What would happen to the word order if we started the sentence with the fordi clause?
The sentence would become: Fordi hun ofte griner, er opførslen et problem. The internal word order of the subordinate clause stays exactly the same (ofte before griner). However, since that entire clause now takes up the first position in the main sentence, the main verb (er) must come right after it to follow the standard verb-second (V2) rule.
Is the noun opførsel related to the verb for "to behave"?
Yes, en opførsel is the noun form of the reflexive verb at opføre sig (to behave oneself).