Breakdown of Forbrydelsen anmeldes når detektiven ankommer til gerningsstedet.
til
to (preposition) / for (purpose) / at (an event or occasion) / at (good at something)
ankomme
to arrive
når
when
detektiven
the detective
Questions & Answers about Forbrydelsen anmeldes når detektiven ankommer til gerningsstedet.
Since this lesson is about the past perfect blive-passive, how would we change anmeldes to match that?
You would change the present tense anmeldes (is reported) to var blevet anmeldt (had been reported). If we adapt the whole sentence to fit the past perfect, it becomes: Forbrydelsen var blevet anmeldt, da detektiven ankom til gerningsstedet. Notice we also have to change når to da because the arrival is now a single event in the past!
Why does ankommer take the preposition til here?
In Danish, you arrive to a destination. While English speakers say 'arrive at' a place or 'arrive in' a city, Danish consistently pairs the verb at ankomme with the preposition til.
What are the parts that make up the word gerningsstedet?
It is a compound noun formed from gerning (an act or deed) and stedet (the place, which is the definite form of et sted). They are joined by a connecting -s-. Literally meaning 'the act's place', it is the standard Danish term for 'the crime scene'.
Why is når used for 'when' here, rather than da?
Because the sentence is in the present tense (anmeldes, ankommer). In Danish, you must use når for events in the present or future, as well as repeated events in the past. You only use da for a single, one-time event in the past.