Breakdown of Han truer med at sige op.
han
he
at
to
med
with; by (bus, train) / of, to (the meaning or point of something)
sige op
to quit
true
to threaten
Questions & Answers about Han truer med at sige op.
Why is the preposition med used here before at sige op?
In Danish, the verb at true (to threaten) requires the preposition med (with) when you state what the threat is. While English says 'threatens to', Danish literally says 'threatens with to', so you must always use truer med at before a verb.
Does sige op only apply to quitting a job?
It is most commonly used for quitting a job (resigning) or firing someone (giving notice). However, you can also use at sige op for canceling contracts, leases, or subscriptions, like at sige sit abonnement op (to cancel one's subscription).
How would the word order change if he specified what he was quitting, like his job?
Because sige op is a separable phrasal verb, a short object usually goes between the verb and the particle. You would say Han truer med at sige sit job op.
Could we omit at and just say truer med sige op?
No, you cannot drop at here. Whenever a verb in the infinitive directly follows a preposition like med, the infinitive marker at is absolutely required to connect them.
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