Breakdown of Så snart at forlaget får manuskriptet, læser redaktøren det.
det
it (neuter)
læse
to read
få
to get, to receive / to have (children)
manuskriptet
the manuscript
forlaget
the publisher
så snart at
as soon as
redaktøren
the editor
Questions & Answers about Så snart at forlaget får manuskriptet, læser redaktøren det.
Is the at in så snart at strictly necessary?
No, it is optional. You will often see and hear just så snart, which means exactly the same thing. Adding at is common in everyday Danish and perfectly correct, but you can also safely drop it.
Why is the word order læser redaktøren instead of redaktøren læser?
This is the V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The entire first part of the sentence (Så snart at forlaget får manuskriptet) acts as a single block of time information, taking up the first position. Therefore, the main clause must start with its verb (læser) to keep the verb in the second overall position, immediately followed by the subject (redaktøren).
Why does the sentence end with det rather than den?
The pronoun det refers back to manuskriptet (the manuscript). Because et manuskript is a neuter word, which you can easily spot from the -et ending, you must use the neuter pronoun det to say 'it'.
Both verbs (får and læser) are in the present tense, but the action seems to happen in the future. Is this normal?
Yes, very normal. Danish frequently uses the present tense in time clauses after words like så snart or når to talk about events that will happen. You do not need to add a future marker like vil.
Learn Så snart at forlaget får manuskriptet, læser redaktøren det and more in Danish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free