Breakdown of Når jeg har afsluttet projektet, vil jeg have forladt stillingen.
jeg
I
have
to have
ville
want to / will
når
when
Questions & Answers about Når jeg har afsluttet projektet, vil jeg have forladt stillingen.
Why do we use the present perfect har afsluttet in a sentence about the future?
In time clauses introduced by når (when), Danish uses the present perfect to show that an action will be completed before something else happens in the future. You cannot use the future perfect (vil have afsluttet) directly inside the når clause. English actually does this too, which is why we say "When I have concluded..." rather than "When I will have concluded..."
How is the future perfect (førfremtid) built in the main clause?
It is formed by combining the future auxiliary verb vil with the infinitive have and the past participle of the main verb, which here is forladt. This creates vil have forladt (will have left), showing the action will be completely finished by that specific future time.
Why does the main clause start with vil jeg instead of jeg vil?
This is a classic example of the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire subordinate clause (Når jeg har afsluttet projektet) acts as position one in the sentence. To keep the verb in position two, the main clause must immediately start with the finite verb (vil), pushing the subject (jeg) to position three.
Could I use sluttet instead of afsluttet for concluding the project?
It is much better to use afsluttet here. While sluttet simply means ended or stopped, afsluttet carries the specific meaning of concluding, wrapping up, or finalizing something complex with multiple parts, like a project, a course, or an investigation.