Breakdown of Du må ikke glemme opvarmningen før kampen.
du
you
ikke
not
glemme
to forget
måtte
to be allowed to / must
før
before
kampen
the match
opvarmningen
the warm-up
Questions & Answers about Du må ikke glemme opvarmningen før kampen.
Why does må ikke translate to "must not" instead of "don't have to"?
In Danish, må generally expresses permission. However, when negated as må ikke, it strictly expresses prohibition, meaning "must not" or "are not allowed to". If you wanted to express a lack of obligation ("you don't have to"), you would use behøver ikke.
How is the noun opvarmningen formed from the verb for "to warm up"?
The verb is at varme op, where op is a separate particle. To form the noun, the particle moves to the front, and the suffix -ning is added to the verb stem, creating opvarmning (warm-up). Here it takes the definite ending -en to become opvarmningen.
Could I use inden instead of før in this sentence?
Yes, før and inden are practically interchangeable when used as prepositions of time before a noun event. You could easily say inden kampen. Some native speakers feel inden implies an action happening closer to the event, but both are entirely correct here.
Does kampen always refer to a sports match?
In a sports context, kamp translates to match or game. However, its core meaning is fight, struggle, or battle. You will often see it used in broader contexts, such as kampen for frihed (the struggle for freedom).
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