Breakdown of Vi fandt aldrig forfaderen om hvem vi læste.
læse
to read
vi
we
hvem
who
finde
to find
aldrig
never
om
about (concerning)
forfaderen
the ancestor
Questions & Answers about Vi fandt aldrig forfaderen om hvem vi læste.
Why do we use om hvem here instead of the usual som?
Using a preposition followed by hvem (for people) or hvilken / hvilket / hvilke (for things) is a formal, written way to construct a relative clause. In everyday spoken Danish, you would almost always use som and move the preposition to the end of the clause: som vi læste om.
Could we use om hvilken instead of om hvem here, since forfaderen is an en-word?
No, because forfaderen (the ancestor) refers to a person. In this formal relative clause structure, when the noun refers to a person and directly follows a preposition, you must use hvem (whom). You only use hvilken (or hvilket / hvilke) for things.
Just as a refresher, why is the adverb aldrig placed after the verb fandt?
Because Vi fandt aldrig forfaderen is a main clause. In Danish main clauses, central adverbs like aldrig (never) and ikke (not) must always come after the conjugated verb. If it had been a subordinate clause, the rule flips and the adverb would come before the verb.
Is the plural of forfaderen regular?
No, it follows the same irregular pattern as fader or far (father). The plural form is forfædre (ancestors), and the definite plural is forfædrene (the ancestors).
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