Word
Når du er nervøs, skal du lade være med at bide negle.
Meaning
When you are nervous, you must stop biting your nails.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Når du er nervøs, skal du lade være med at bide negle.
What does "lade være med at" literally translate to, and how is it used here?
The phrase lade være med literally translates to "let be with". When followed by at and an infinitive verb, like at bide, it means to refrain from or stop doing that action. While English simply says "stop biting", Danish uses this fixed phrase to mean "stop" or "don't do it".
Why does the verb "skal" come before the subject "du" after the comma?
This is the V2 (verb-second) rule in action! The entire first part of the sentence (Når du er nervøs) counts as position number one. Because the main clause's verb must always be in the second position, skal comes immediately after the comma, swapping places with the subject du.
Why doesn't the sentence say "bide dine negle" (bite your nails)?
In English, we specify "your nails", but Danish often drops the possessive pronoun (dine) when referring to body parts or personal grooming. Because it is obvious whose nails you are biting, the fixed expression is simply at bide negle.
Could I use "da" instead of "når" to say "when" in this sentence?
No, because da is only used for a single, specific event in the past. For the present, the future, or a repeated action meaning "whenever" (like getting nervous and biting your nails), you must always use når.