Breakdown of Når bussen har brugt alt brændstoffet, stopper den.
den
it (common)
have
to have
bussen
the bus
bruge
to use / to spend (money, time) / to need (together with the modal of obligation)
Questions & Answers about Når bussen har brugt alt brændstoffet, stopper den.
Why do we use alt here instead of al or alle?
Alt is used because brændstof (fuel) is a neuter noun (an et-word) and it is uncountable in this context. You use al for common gender (en-words) and alle for plurals.
Why is brændstoffet in the definite form?
In Danish, to express 'all the [noun]', you use the quantifier directly followed by the noun in its definite form, which is why we write alt brændstoffet. You do not add a separate word for 'the'.
Why does the second part of the sentence say stopper den instead of den stopper?
This happens because of the V2 rule, which requires the verb to be the second main element in a sentence. The entire first part of the sentence (Når bussen har brugt alt brændstoffet) acts as element number one. Therefore, the main verb stopper must come immediately after the comma, followed by the subject den.
Why does the sentence use Når for 'when' instead of Da?
Når is used for general truths, repeated actions, or future events. Da is strictly reserved for a single, specific event that happened in the past. Since a bus stopping when it runs out of fuel is a general rule, Når is the correct choice here.