Breakdown of Hun læste hver dag og lærte derved sproget.
hun
she
og
and
læse
to read
lære
to learn
sproget
the language
hver dag
every day
derved
thereby, by that means
Questions & Answers about Hun læste hver dag og lærte derved sproget.
How does the word derved work in this sentence?
Derved translates to 'thereby' or 'in doing so'. It is formed by combining der (there/that) and ved (by). In Danish, instead of saying ved det (by that), you combine them into a der- word. It refers back to the entire action of reading every day.
Could I say og derved lærte sproget instead of og lærte derved sproget?
No, because og connects two main clauses. In a main clause, the verb must come in the second position (the V2 rule). Since the shared subject hun is technically in the first position, the verb lærte must immediately follow it, placing the adverb derved after the verb.
Why is there no subject in the second half of the sentence?
Just like in English, when two main clauses are joined by og (and) and share the exact same subject, you can drop the subject in the second clause. You could write og hun lærte derved sproget, but dropping the second hun sounds much more natural.
Is there a meaningful difference between hver dag and hverdag?
Yes, and it is a common pitfall! Written as two separate words, hver dag means 'every day' (all seven days of the week). Written as a single noun, en hverdag means 'a weekday' (Monday through Friday). Here, she practiced all week long.
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