Questions & Answers about Alting står i garagen, men vi kan ikke beholde det.
Why do we use det at the end of the sentence to refer to alting (everything)?
Even though alting means 'everything', it is grammatically treated as a singular, neuter word (a t-word). That is why we refer back to it using the singular neuter pronoun det (it) instead of a plural pronoun like dem (them).
Why does the sentence say står (stands) instead of just using er (is)?
Danish frequently uses positional verbs like står (stands) or ligger (lies) to describe where something is located. Since the things in the garage are likely upright or resting on their bases (like boxes, bikes, or furniture), står sounds much more natural to a Dane than er.
Why doesn't the verb beholde end in an -r here?
beholde (to keep) is in its infinitive (dictionary) form because it comes after the modal verb kan (can). When you use a modal verb, the main verb drops the present tense -r ending, similar to how we say 'can keep' instead of 'can keeps' in English.
Can I just swap alting for ingenting if I want to say 'Nothing is standing in the garage'?
Yes, you can simply say Ingenting står i garagen. Both alting and ingenting act as singular subjects, so the verb står does not need to change at all.