Breakdown of Der går en flok mennesker mod torvet.
der
there
en
a / an (common)
gå
to walk / to go / to go out, to fail (of power)
torvet
the square
mennesket
the human being, the person
mod
towards; against
flokken
the flock
Questions & Answers about Der går en flok mennesker mod torvet.
Why does this sentence start with der instead of en flok mennesker?
In Danish, you often use der (there) to introduce new, indefinite subjects like en flok mennesker into a sentence. Instead of saying En flok mennesker går mod torvet, Danish uses this presentational der with active verbs that don't take a direct object, like går. It sounds much more natural and translates to "A group of people is walking" rather than "There walks a group."
Why is there no word for "of" in en flok mennesker?
When a Danish sentence uses a measurement, container, or collective noun like en flok (a group or flock) followed by what it consists of, the word for "of" (af) is usually dropped. You simply put the two nouns right next to each other, just like in en kop kaffe (a cup of coffee).
Does går mean "walks" or "is walking" here?
It translates to "is walking" in this context. Danish does not have a separate continuous tense like English does. A simple present tense verb like går covers both "walks" and "is walking." The presentational der construction heavily implies that the action is currently unfolding, making "is walking" the most natural English translation.
Is mod the standard word for "towards"?
mod means "towards" when combined with a motion verb like går to describe physical direction. Be aware that in other contexts, mod frequently means "against," such as playing a match against a team or arguing against a proposal.
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