Questions & Answers about Hun drikker kun vand.
Why is kun placed after the verb, instead of before like in the English phrase "only drinks"?
In Danish main clauses, the verb must be the second idea in the sentence. Because the subject Hun is first, the verb drikker must come immediately next. Small adverbs like kun (only) are placed right after the verb, unlike in English where they often squeeze in before the verb.
Could I use bare instead of kun in this sentence?
You would be understood, but kun is much better here. Kun is used when you mean a strict limit or "nothing but" (she drinks water and absolutely nothing else). Bare is usually used to soften a statement, like saying "just" in English (for example, Bare rolig, meaning "Just relax").
Does this mean "She drinks only water" in general, or "She is only drinking water" right now?
It can mean both! Danish does not have a separate "-ing" tense for things happening right now. Hun drikker covers both "She drinks" and "She is drinking". You rely on context to know which one is meant.
I always forget how to say words ending in "-nd". Is the "d" in vand pronounced?
No, the "d" in vand is completely silent. In Danish, when a word ends in "-nd", you usually only pronounce the "n". So vand sounds a lot like the English word "van".