Breakdown of Rengøringen bliver ofte kaldt tidsrøvende.
ofte
often
blive
to be (passive auxiliary)
kalde
to call (by a name)
rengøringen
the cleaning
tidsrøvende
time-consuming
Questions & Answers about Rengøringen bliver ofte kaldt tidsrøvende.
How is the word tidsrøvende formed, and what does it literally mean?
It is formed by combining the noun tid (time) and the present participle røvende (robbing or stealing, from the verb at røve). The -s- in the middle is a linking letter. Literally, it means "time-robbing," which translates naturally to "time-consuming." This is a classic example of incorporating an object directly into a present participle to create an adjective.
Does the ending of tidsrøvende change if the noun is plural or neuter?
No. Words ending in -ende are present participles (the equivalent of English words ending in "-ing"). When present participles are used as adjectives in Danish, they never change their endings to match the gender or number of the noun they describe. It will always remain tidsrøvende.
Why do we use bliver ... kaldt here instead of er ... kaldt?
The verb bliver is used to form the dynamic passive, which focuses on the action taking place. Saying rengøringen bliver ofte kaldt means the action of people calling it time-consuming happens frequently. If you used er, it would form a stative passive, which describes a finished state rather than a recurring action.
Why is the adverb ofte placed right in the middle of the verbs?
In a Danish main clause, central adverbs like ofte (often) must be placed after the first, conjugated verb. Here, that conjugated verb is bliver. The adverb slots in right after it, separating it from the secondary verb, which is the past participle kaldt.
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