Questions & Answers about Jeg var sulten, så jeg spiste en burger.
Why is the word order jeg spiste and not spiste jeg after så?
In Danish, the V2 (verb-second) rule usually makes the verb and subject swap places if a clause starts with an extra word. However, here så means "so" and acts as a connector between two full sentences. Because of this, we keep the normal subject-verb order: jeg spiste. Note that if så meant "then", it would trigger the swap, giving you så spiste jeg.
Does sulten change if the subject is plural?
Yes! Adjectives in Danish must match the noun or pronoun they describe. Because jeg is singular, we use the basic form sulten. If the subject were plural, like vi (we), it changes to the plural form: Vi var sultne.
How do we form the past tense for verbs like spiste?
The infinitive is at spise (to eat). It belongs to a very common group of Danish verbs that form the past tense by adding -te to the stem (which is spis). So, spis + te becomes spiste. The other very common past tense ending is -ede, but you just have to memorize that spise takes -te.
Is there a rule for why the English word burger uses the en article?