Breakdown of Han kigger i bakspejlet før han bruger blinklyset.
han
he
i
in
bruge
to use / to spend (money, time) / to need (together with the modal of obligation)
før
before
kigge
to look
bakspejlet
the rearview mirror
blinklyset
the turn signal
Questions & Answers about Han kigger i bakspejlet før han bruger blinklyset.
Why is the preposition i used here instead of på with kigger?
When looking at a mirror to see the reflection, Danish uses i (in), just like English. If you used på bakspejlet, it would mean he is looking at the physical object itself (perhaps to inspect or clean it), rather than using it to see the traffic behind him.
Could I use inden instead of før in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely. As conjunctions meaning before linking two clauses, før and inden are completely interchangeable in Danish. Saying inden han bruger blinklyset would mean exactly the same thing.
How do the roots of bakspejlet and blinklyset help me remember them?
They are very literal compound words. Bakspejl comes from at bakke (to reverse or back up) and et spejl (a mirror). Blinklys combines at blinke (to flash or blink) and et lys (a light). Danish car vocabulary is often built this simply!
If I wanted to add the word altid (always) to the second half of the sentence, where does it go?
It would go right before the verb: ...før han altid bruger blinklyset. Because før introduces a subordinate clause, it triggers subordinate word order. This means central adverbs like altid, ofte, or ikke must be placed before the verb, unlike in a main clause.
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