Breakdown of Kvinden der bager kagen, spiser halvdelen.
kvinden
the woman
spise
to eat
kagen
the cake
bage
to bake
Questions & Answers about Kvinden der bager kagen, spiser halvdelen.
Why does the sentence use halvdelen for 'half' instead of just halv?
halvdelen is a noun meaning 'the half' or 'half of it', while halv is an adjective. Because 'half' is the actual thing being eaten (the object of the verb), you must use the noun form here.
How exactly is the word halvdelen built?
It is made up of three parts: halv (half) + del (part) + -en (the definite ending). So, it literally translates to 'the half part'.
Could I use som instead of der to mean 'who' in this sentence?
Yes, you can! Both som and der act as relative pronouns meaning 'who', 'which', or 'that'. However, der can only be used when it is the subject of the clause (the one doing the baking), which is why it is the most natural choice here.
Why is there a comma between kagen and spiser?
In Danish, commas are often used to clearly separate clauses. The comma after kagen marks the end of the inserted phrase der bager kagen (who bakes the cake), keeping its verb (bager) neatly separated from the main action of the sentence (spiser).