Breakdown of Eleven har taget sig en lang pause og snuppet sig en croissant.
og
and
en
a / an (common)
have
to have
lang
long / far (distance)
Questions & Answers about Eleven har taget sig en lang pause og snuppet sig en croissant.
What exactly does sig add to taget sig and snuppet sig in this sentence?
Here, sig acts as a benefactive reflexive (indirekte objekt for personlig interesse). It shows that the action is done for the subject's own benefit, enjoyment, or comfort. The student isn't just taking a break; they are treating themselves to one.
If the subject was jeg instead of eleven, would I still use sig to show I am doing it for my own benefit?
No, the reflexive pronoun always has to match the subject. For jeg, you would use mig (Jeg har taget mig en lang pause). You only use sig for third-person subjects like eleven, han, hun, or de.
Why is there no auxiliary verb before snuppet?
Because both verbs (taget and snuppet) share the same auxiliary verb (har) and subject, you can drop the second har to avoid repetition. The sentence implies: Eleven har taget sig... og [har] snuppet sig...
Could I just say Eleven har taget en lang pause og snuppet en croissant without the sig words?
Yes, that is grammatically correct and means almost the same thing, but it sounds more neutral and factual. Adding sig is very common in spoken Danish to give the sentence a cozier, more casual feeling.