Breakdown of Det er vigtigt ikke at overtræde fartgrænsen.
være
to be
det
it (neuter)
ikke
not
vigtig
important
at
to
overtræde
to break
fartgrænsen
the speed limit
Questions & Answers about Det er vigtigt ikke at overtræde fartgrænsen.
Why is the word "ikke" placed before "at overtræde"?
When negating an infinitive phrase in Danish, the negative word (ikke, aldrig) must come before the infinitive marker at. This is a strict rule, so you cannot say "at ikke overtræde" like you might say "to not break" in English.
What is the literal meaning of "overtræde"?
It literally means "to step over" or "to overstep," coming from over (over) and træde (step or tread). In this context, it is used figuratively to mean "break" or "violate" a rule.
How is the word "fartgrænsen" built?
It is a compound noun made of fart (speed) and grænse (limit or border). It ends with the definite suffix -n to make it "the speed limit."
Why do we use "Det" at the beginning of the sentence instead of "Den"?
Det acts as a dummy subject here, similar to "It" in the English phrase "It is important." Because there is no specific noun being referred to (the true subject of the sentence is the entire action of not breaking the speed limit), Danish defaults to the neuter pronoun Det.
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