Breakdown of Hvem der bare boede i et palads med ubegrænset rigdom.
et
a / an (neuter)
bo
to live
i
in
hvem
who
bare
just, only
med
with; by (bus, train) / of, to (the meaning or point of something)
der
who, which (relative, subject)
paladset
the palace
ubegrænset
unlimited
rigdommen
the wealth
Questions & Answers about Hvem der bare boede i et palads med ubegrænset rigdom.
Why does Hvem der bare mean "If only one" when hvem means "who"?
This is a fixed Danish idiom for wistful, exclamatory wishes. Literally meaning "Who that just", it doesn't actually ask a question. Instead, it acts as a general wish that translates to "If only one", "If only I", or "If only we", depending on who is daydreaming.
Why is boede in the past tense if the wish is about the present?
Just like in the English phrase "If only one lived...", Danish uses the past tense to express a hypothetical or unreal situation. Using boede shows that the speaker does not actually live in a palace right now.
How is the word ubegrænset built?
It is built around the verb at begrænse (to limit). Adding -et makes it a past participle meaning "limited", and the prefix u- negates it, working exactly like the "un-" in the English word "unlimited".
Why doesn't the adjective ubegrænset get an extra ending to match rigdom?
Because rigdom (wealth) is a common gender noun (an en-word) used here in the indefinite singular. Therefore, the adjective takes its basic dictionary form. The -t at the end is just part of that base word, not a neuter ending.
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