Learn Danish: Hvordan kom du hertil?

In Danish, adverbs of place change depending on whether they describe movement toward a place or being stationary. Her means you are already in a location, while hertil indicates movement toward it. Since the verb komme involves motion, you must use a directional adverb like hertil.

Why is kom used here when the English translation says 'get'?

English relies heavily on the verb 'get' to mean 'arrive' or 'travel.' In Danish, you cannot use få (to get/receive) for movement. Instead, you use verbs of motion like komme (to come). Therefore, 'How did you get here?' naturally translates to 'How did you come here?'.

Could I use herhen instead of hertil in this sentence?

Yes, you can. Hvordan kom du herhen? is also perfectly natural and means the same thing. Herhen strongly emphasizes physical movement to a specific spot, while hertil can be used both for physical movement and more abstractly (like reaching a point in a discussion). In this context of physical travel, they are interchangeable.

Is hertil always written as one word?

Yes, when used as a compound directional adverb meaning 'to here,' hertil is always written as a single word. This follows the same pattern as other compound adverbs in Danish, such as dertil (to there) or its question counterpart, hvortil (to where).