Breakdown of Da kongen var syg, tog regeringen magten.
være
to be
syg
sick
tage
to take / to make (a decision)
da
since (because)
kongen
the king
regeringen
the government
magten
the power
Questions & Answers about Da kongen var syg, tog regeringen magten.
Why is da used here instead of fordi if it means 'because'?
Da translates closely to 'since' or 'as' and is often used when the reason is already known or is just background information. Fordi ('because') is used when the reason is the new, main piece of information you want to share. Here, the king's sickness is the background setting for the government taking power.
Why does the main clause start with the verb tog instead of the subject regeringen?
Danish uses the V2 (verb-second) rule, meaning the main verb must be the second element in a main clause. The entire subordinate clause (Da kongen var syg) acts as the first element. To keep the main verb tog in the second position, the subject regeringen has to move right after it.
Can da also mean 'when'? How do I know which one it is here?
Yes, da is very commonly used to mean 'when' for a single event in the past. Sentences starting with da can often be interpreted as either 'when' or 'since'. Here, 'When the king was sick' and 'Since the king was sick' both make sense, so context is the only way to know if the speaker is emphasizing the time or the cause.
Why does the Danish sentence use magten (the power) instead of just magt (power)?
In Danish, abstract nouns like magt often take the definite ending (here, -en) when referring to a specific concept as a whole. While English usually drops the article in phrases like 'take power' or 'seize power', Danish naturally says tog magten (literally 'took the power').
Learn Da kongen var syg, tog regeringen magten 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