Word
Først spiste vi. Derefter gik vi en tur.
Meaning
First we ate. After that we went for a walk.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Først spiste vi. Derefter gik vi en tur.
spise
to eat
vi
we
gå en tur
to go for a walk
først
first, at first
Questions & Answers about Først spiste vi. Derefter gik vi en tur.
Why are the verbs before the subjects here (spiste vi, gik vi)?
This is because of the V2 (verb-second) rule in Danish. Whenever you start a sentence with something other than the subject, like the adverbs Først (first) or Derefter (after that), the verb must come immediately after it, pushing the subject to the third position.
What is the difference between først and før?
Først is an adverb that means first or initially, which fits perfectly here to show the first action in a sequence. Før means before and is used to link a time or an event, like in the phrase før vi spiste (before we ate).
How exactly does the word Derefter mean after that?
Derefter is a compound word made of der (there) and efter (after). Literally it means thereafter. While thereafter sounds very formal in English, derefter is completely standard and common in everyday Danish for saying after that or then.
Why is there no word for 'for' in the phrase gik vi en tur?
In English you go for a walk, but the Danish expression is simply at gå en tur (literally to walk a trip). You do not use a preposition here; the walk (en tur) is treated as the direct object of the verb.