Breakdown of Gåden kan måske gå hen og blive for svær.
kunne
to be able to / can
svær
difficult
blive
to stay / to become
for
too
Questions & Answers about Gåden kan måske gå hen og blive for svær.
How does adding gå hen og change the meaning compared to just saying kan måske blive?
The phrase gå hen og acts as a marker that shows a development or outcome is unexpected, gradual, or left to chance. It is similar to the English expressions end up doing or turn out to be. Without it, the sentence just means might become, but adding gå hen og emphasizes that this would be an unforeseen turn of events.
Why is blive in the infinitive form here?
In a pseudo-coordination with og (like gå hen og), the two verbs must be in the exact same form. The modal verb kan requires the first verb to be an infinitive (gå). Therefore, the second verb must also be an infinitive (blive). If the sentence was in the present tense without a modal verb, both would be in the present: Gåden går hen og bliver for svær.
Why is måske placed where it is, and could I start the sentence with it instead?
In a standard Danish main clause, central adverbs like måske come right after the finite verb (kan). You can absolutely start the sentence with måske to emphasize the uncertainty, but because of the V2 rule (verb in the second position), the subject and verb must swap places. That would result in: Måske kan gåden gå hen og blive for svær.
Are there other words for difficult I could use instead of svær?