Breakdown of Han plejer at cykle til fitnesscenteret om eftermiddagen.
han
he
at
to
cykle
to cycle
til
to (preposition) / for (purpose) / at (an event or occasion) / at (good at something)
Questions & Answers about Han plejer at cykle til fitnesscenteret om eftermiddagen.
Why does the Danish sentence use the verbs plejer at cykle when the English translation just says 'usually cycles'?
In English, 'usually' is an adverb. In Danish, plejer is an actual verb that means 'to be in the habit of doing something'. Because it acts as the main verb here, it is followed by at (to) and the infinitive form of the action verb, which is cykle (cycle).
Why is it om eftermiddagen instead of i eftermiddag?
The preposition om combined with the definite form of a time of day, like eftermiddagen, is used to describe a recurring or habitual event. It means 'in the afternoons' generally. If you used i eftermiddag, it would mean 'this specific afternoon', which clashes with the habitual meaning of plejer.
Why does the word fitnesscenteret end in -et?
The ending -et is the definite article meaning 'the' attached to the end of the noun. Because center is a neuter word (et center), it takes the neuter ending to become centeret. Together, fitnesscenteret means 'the fitness center' or 'the gym'.
Can I use plejer for habits in the past, like 'he used to cycle'?
Yes! While plejer is the present tense form used in this sentence for a current habit, you can use its past tense form plejede to talk about a past habit. 'He used to cycle' would be Han plejede at cykle.