Breakdown of Jeg er bekymret fordi han ikke ringer.
jeg
I
være
to be
han
he
ikke
not
fordi
because
ringe
to call
bekymret
worried
Questions & Answers about Jeg er bekymret fordi han ikke ringer.
Why does ikke come before the verb ringer here?
Because fordi (because) starts a subordinate clause (a dependent part of the sentence). In Danish main clauses, ikke usually comes after the verb, like in han ringer ikke (he is not calling). But in subordinate clauses, adverbs like ikke must come before the verb.
Does ringer mean calls or is calling?
It means both! Danish does not have a separate continuous tense (like the English -ing form). You use the normal present tense ringer for both he calls and he is calling.
If I wanted to say We are worried, would bekymret change?
Yes, because bekymret acts as an adjective describing the subject. If the subject is plural like vi (we), you must add an e to the end, making it Vi er bekymrede.
Could I use for instead of fordi in this sentence?
Yes, but it changes the word order! Fordi makes the next part a subordinate clause, which puts ikke before the verb. For keeps the next part as a normal main clause. So if you use for, you must put ikke after the verb, saying for han ringer ikke.
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