Breakdown of De fandt formentlig mønten for tusind år siden.
de
they
finde
to find
året
the year
tusind
thousand
for
for (preposition)
siden
ago
mønten
the coin
formentlig
presumably
Questions & Answers about De fandt formentlig mønten for tusind år siden.
The current lesson is about using 'modal + have + past participle' to speculate. Why is this sentence using the simple past instead?
This sentence demonstrates a common alternative way to express epistemic speculation. Instead of using a modal construction like må have fundet (must have found), it uses the simple past tense fandt combined with the adverb formentlig (presumably/probably). Both methods successfully communicate an educated guess about a past event.
Why is the adverb formentlig placed between the verb and the object?
In Danish main clauses, central adverbs (such as formentlig, ikke, or ofte) are placed immediately after the finite verb (fandt). Because Danish strictly enforces this word order, the adverb pushes the direct object (mønten) further down the sentence.
Could I use sandsynligvis instead of formentlig here?
Yes, sandsynligvis (probably) and formentlig (presumably) are largely interchangeable. However, formentlig shares a root with the verb at formode (to assume/presume) and sounds slightly more formal or academic, which fits perfectly when discussing historical or archaeological finds.
How exactly does the phrase for tusind år siden translate to 'a thousand years ago'?
In Danish, 'ago' is expressed using the two-part prepositional frame for [time period] siden. You place the amount of time directly in the middle. So, wrapping tusind år (a thousand years) inside for ... siden creates the exact equivalent of 'a thousand years ago'.
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