Breakdown of Som regel spiser vi klokken seks.
spise
to eat
vi
we
seks
six
klokken
the clock; o'clock, the time (of day)
Questions & Answers about Som regel spiser vi klokken seks.
Why is the verb spiser before the subject vi?
Danish follows the V2 (verb-second) rule. Because the time expression Som regel takes the first position in the sentence, the verb spiser must come in the second position. This pushes the subject vi to the third position.
Is Som regel a fixed expression? I noticed there is no word for 'a'.
Yes, Som regel is a fixed idiom that translates directly to 'as rule'. Unlike the English 'as a rule', Danish drops the indefinite article (en) here. It is one of the most common ways to say 'usually' or 'normally' in everyday Danish.
Why isn't there a preposition like 'at' before klokken seks?
When stating a specific time on the clock, Danish doesn't use a preposition. You simply say klokken followed by the number. Translating the English 'at' by adding a preposition like ved would be grammatically incorrect here.
Why does the word klokken end in -n?
It is the definite form of en klokke (a clock or bell). In Danish, telling the time literally translates to saying 'the clock' followed by the number, so you must use the definite noun klokken.