Word
Efter vinterbadningen skælver vi altid, og hænderne er kolde.
Meaning
After the winter swimming, we always shiver, and our hands are cold.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Efter vinterbadningen skælver vi altid, og hænderne er kolde.
være
to be
og
and
vi
we
kold
cold
Questions & Answers about Efter vinterbadningen skælver vi altid, og hænderne er kolde.
Why does the sentence use hænderne (the hands) instead of vores hænder (our hands)?
This is a common Danish pattern for body parts and clothing. When it is obvious from the context who the owner is, Danish prefers to use the definite form (here, the plural definite ending -ne) rather than a possessive pronoun like vores (our). Since the first clause establishes that we are the ones shivering, it is naturally understood that it is our hands that are cold.
Why is the word order skælver vi rather than vi skælver?
This happens because of the V2 (verb-second) rule. The sentence begins with the time phrase Efter vinterbadningen (After the winter swimming), which takes up the first position. The verb skælver (shiver) must take the second position, which forces the subject vi (we) to move after the verb.
How do we know where to place the adverb altid in this sentence?
In a Danish main clause, central adverbs like altid (always) are usually placed after the finite verb and the subject. Because the V2 rule inverted the subject and verb to skælver vi, the adverb safely lands right after them.
Why does the word for cold have an -e at the end (kolde)?
Adjectives in Danish must agree with the noun they describe in gender and number. Since hænderne is a plural noun, the adjective kold gets the plural suffix -e added to it to become kolde.