Breakdown of Hjælpen er desværre forsinket, så vi klarer det selv.
være
to be
det
it (neuter)
vi
we
desværre
unfortunately
så
then, so
forsinket
delayed
hjælpen
the help
klare
to manage (cope, handle)
selv
oneself / myself / yourself / etc. (emphatic)
Questions & Answers about Hjælpen er desværre forsinket, så vi klarer det selv.
Since it refers to vi, why doesn't selv have a plural ending?
When used as an emphatic pronoun to mean ourselves, themselves, or myself, selv never changes form to match a plural subject. It always stays selv. Be careful not to confuse it with selve, which is an adjective used before a noun to mean the actual or the very.
Could I drop the word det and just say så vi klarer selv?
No, you need det here. The Danish verb at klare (to manage or to handle) requires an object. You have to state what is being managed, so we use det (it) to represent the task or situation.
Why is the present tense verb klarer translated into the future tense as will manage?
Danish often uses the present tense to express the future, especially when the context makes the timeline clear. Because the help is delayed right now, it is obvious that the managing will happen immediately afterward.
Why is the adverb desværre placed after the verb er?
The first half of this sentence is a standard main clause. In a Danish main clause, central adverbs like desværre (unfortunately), ikke (not), and altid (always) are placed immediately after the first conjugated verb.
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