Breakdown of Du skal dreje rattet og kigge i bakspejlet.
du
you
og
and
i
in
skulle
to have to / must / to be going to
kigge
to look
dreje
to turn
rattet
the steering wheel
bakspejlet
the rearview mirror
Questions & Answers about Du skal dreje rattet og kigge i bakspejlet.
Why is the word rattet used here instead of a form of hjul, since they both translate to wheel?
In Danish, et hjul refers to a wheel on the outside of a vehicle, like a car tire or a bicycle wheel. The steering wheel that you operate with your hands is a completely different word: et rat. Because it is a neuter noun, the definite form the steering wheel becomes rattet.
Is there a specific reason we use the preposition i before bakspejlet?
Yes, Danish aligns with English here. You use i because you are looking at the reflection inside the mirror. If you used på (kigge på bakspejlet), it would mean you are looking at the physical casing or outside of the mirror itself rather than the reflection.
How does the compound word bakspejlet break down?
It combines bak-, which comes from the verb at bakke (to reverse or back up), and spejlet (the mirror). It literally translates to the reversing mirror.
Why is there no modal verb or infinitive marker before kigge in the second half of the sentence?
The modal verb skal applies to both verbs connected by og (and). Because dreje and kigge share the same subject (du) and the same obligation (skal), you do not need to repeat the modal verb. Both action verbs simply remain in their bare infinitive form.
Learn Du skal dreje rattet og kigge i bakspejlet 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