Breakdown of Drengen bruger fyrstikken, så at han kan tænde bålet.
han
he
drengen
the boy
bruge
to use / to spend (money, time) / to need (together with the modal of obligation)
kunne
to be able to / can
Questions & Answers about Drengen bruger fyrstikken, så at han kan tænde bålet.
What is the difference between using så at and just så in this sentence?
Both translate to 'so that' when expressing purpose. Using så at makes it crystal clear that you mean 'in order to.' In everyday spoken Danish, the at is very often dropped, leaving just så, but writing så at is perfectly correct and avoids any confusion with så meaning 'therefore' (a consequence).
Why isn't the verb inverted after the comma? Shouldn't it be så at kan han?
No, because så at is a subordinating conjunction. It introduces a subordinate clause, which follows the standard word order: conjunction + subject + verb. Therefore, we say så at han kan, keeping the subject (han) right before the verb (kan).
Why does fyrstikken have two k's when the base word is fyrstik?
When we add the definite ending -en to fyrstik (a match), we double the final consonant to become fyrstikken. This is a common spelling rule in Danish to indicate that the preceding vowel (the i) remains short.
Can I use tænde for turning on things other than fires?
Yes! While it means 'to light' or 'ignite' here (tænde bålet), it is also the standard verb for turning on lights and electronics. For example, you can say tænde lyset (turn on the light) or tænde computeren (turn on the computer).