Breakdown of Vi risikerer en krise medmindre vi ændrer fristen.
en
a / an (common)
vi
we
ændre
to change
medmindre
unless
risikere
to risk
krisen
the crisis
fristen
the deadline
Questions & Answers about Vi risikerer en krise medmindre vi ændrer fristen.
What happens to the word order if we put the medmindre clause at the start of the sentence?
The whole medmindre clause counts as the first block of information. Because Danish uses the V2 rule (the verb is always the second idea in a main clause), the main clause must swap its subject and verb: Medmindre vi ændrer fristen, risikerer vi en krise. Notice how risikerer now comes right before vi.
Since medmindre introduces a subordinate clause, how does that affect adverb placement here?
In subordinate clauses, central adverbs like ikke (not) or allerede (already) must go before the verb, not after it. Although there is not an adverb in this specific sentence, if you wanted to say 'unless we already change the deadline', it would be: ...medmindre vi allerede ændrer fristen. This is a great rule to review when learning new conjunctions.
Is medmindre made up of two different words?
Yes, it is formed from med (with) and mindre (less). It literally means 'with less', which makes a lot of sense when you compare it to the English word 'unless' (which historically evolved from the phrase 'on less').
What is the root word of fristen?
The root word is en frist, which means a time limit or a deadline. The -en attached to the end makes it definite, giving us 'the deadline'. While Danes often use the English loanword en deadline in modern speech, en frist is the standard Danish equivalent you will see in formal or business contexts.
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