Breakdown of Gid kaptajnen havde ladet være med at sove!
have
to have
sove
to sleep
at
to
kaptajnen
the captain
lade være med
to stop (doing something)
gid
if only / I wish
Questions & Answers about Gid kaptajnen havde ladet være med at sove!
How does this sentence show an unrealized past wish?
The word gid (if only) is combined with the past perfect tense havde ladet (had let). Just like in English, using the past perfect after a wish indicates that the event already happened and cannot be changed.
What is the exact meaning of the phrase havde ladet være med at?
It comes from the fixed expression at lade være med at (to refrain from doing something, or to stop doing something). Literally it translates to 'to let be with to', but here it is used to express that the speaker wishes the captain had simply not slept.
Why is the past participle spelled ladet instead of ladt here?
The verb at lade has two different past participles depending on its meaning. When it means 'to let' or 'to refrain' (as in lade være), the past participle is ladet. The form ladt is only used when the verb means 'to load' (like a gun) or 'to charge' (like a battery).
What type of word order does a gid clause use if we want to add an adverb?
Clauses starting with gid follow subordinate clause word order. If you wanted to add a central adverb like bare (just) or ikke (not), it would go between the subject and the conjugated verb: Gid kaptajnen bare havde ladet være med at sove!
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