Breakdown of På den ene side er udstationeringen et eventyr, på den anden side er kulturstødet hårdt.
være
to be
et
a / an (neuter)
hård
hard
på den ene side
on the one hand
udstationeringen
the posting
eventyret
the adventure
på den anden side
on the other hand (balancing arguments)
kulturstødet
the culture shock
Questions & Answers about På den ene side er udstationeringen et eventyr, på den anden side er kulturstødet hårdt.
Why does the verb er come before the subjects in both halves of this sentence?
Because both clauses start with the adverbial phrases På den ene side and på den anden side. In Danish, starting a main clause with anything other than the subject triggers the V2 (verb-second) rule. This forces the verb er to come immediately after the phrase, swapping places with the subjects udstationeringen and kulturstødet.
Why does Danish use side (side) instead of a word for 'hand' like in English?
That is simply how the idiom is formed in Danish. While English says 'on the one hand ... on the other hand,' Danish literally says 'on the one side ... on the other side.' Using a Danish word for hand here would sound like you are talking about your actual physical hands.
Why is the adjective hårdt spelled with a -t at the end here?
The adjective hård (hard) describes the noun it is linked to, which is kulturstødet (the culture shock). Because et kulturstød is a neuter noun (as you can see from the -et definite suffix), the adjective must match its gender by adding a -t.
Why is it den ene side instead of just en side?
When contrasting two specific things like 'the one' and 'the other,' Danish uses the definite article den (or det for neuter nouns) plus the special adjective form ene. It literally translates to 'the one side' rather than just 'a side.'
How is the word udstationeringen built?
It is a compound of ud (out) and stationering (stationing), topped off with the definite suffix -en. It is commonly used in Danish to refer to an expatriate work posting, a deployment, or any situation where an employee is temporarily stationed abroad.
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