Breakdown of Hvis han havde et overtræk, ville han ikke sove om natten.
han
he
et
a / an (neuter)
have
to have
ikke
not
sove
to sleep
ville
want to / will
hvis
if
om
in, at (with times of day)
natten
the night
overtrækket
the overdraft
Questions & Answers about Hvis han havde et overtræk, ville han ikke sove om natten.
Why is it ville han and not han ville in the second part of the sentence?
This is due to the verb-second (V2) rule. The entire if-clause (Hvis han havde et overtræk) counts as the first position in the main sentence. Therefore, the main verb (ville) must come next, pushing the subject (han) after it.
Does the past tense verb havde mean this situation happened in the past?
No, this is a hypothetical conditional sentence. Just like in English, using the past tense (havde) together with ville plus an infinitive (sove) describes an imaginary or unlikely situation in the present or future, rather than a true past event.
Why does the sentence use om natten instead of i nat?
The phrase om natten is used for things that happen at night generally or as a recurring state. If you used i nat, it would specifically mean either last night or tonight, which does not fit the general hypothetical scenario being described here.
How does the word overtræk relate to an overdraft?
It is a compound of over (over) and træk (pull or draw). In a financial context, it literally refers to overdrawing or pulling too much money from your account. You might also see this word used for physical covers, like a bicycle cover, but the financial meaning fits best here.
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