Word
Vi deler bilen og bruger derved mindre benzin.
Meaning
We share the car and thereby use less gas.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Vi deler bilen og bruger derved mindre benzin.
bilen
the car
og
and
vi
we
bruge
to use / to spend (money, time) / to need (together with the modal of obligation)
Questions & Answers about Vi deler bilen og bruger derved mindre benzin.
What is the difference between derved and derfor in this context?
derved literally translates to "thereby" or "by doing so" (der + ved). It shows that the first action is the direct physical method causing the second action. derfor means "therefore" and points to a logical conclusion. While they are very similar here, derved strongly emphasizes the "how."
Why is the word derved placed after the verb bruger?
This second part of the sentence is still a main clause. Even though the subject vi is left out, it is implied right before the verb. Because Danish uses V2 (verb-second) word order in main clauses, the verb bruger remains in the second position, and the adverb derved follows it.
Could I use færre instead of mindre for "less"?
No, because benzin (gasoline) is an uncountable noun. Just like in English, Danish distinguishes between uncountable amounts and countable items. You use mindre (less) for uncountable mass nouns like gas or water, and færre (fewer) for countable items like cars.
Is it mandatory to leave out the second vi after og?
It is not mandatory, but it is highly preferred. When you connect two clauses with og and the subject is exactly the same, dropping the second subject makes the sentence flow much better and sound more natural.