Questions & Answers about Først når vi har læst bogen, drøfter vi temaet.
What does først når mean in this sentence?
Først når means only when or not until.
So the idea is:
- first, we read the book
- only after that, we discuss the theme
A very close English version is:
Only when we have read the book do we discuss the theme.
It adds a stronger sense of sequence than just når by itself.
Why is it drøfter vi and not vi drøfter?
This is because Danish is a verb-second language in main clauses.
The first element in the sentence is the whole subordinate clause:
Først når vi har læst bogen
After that, the finite verb of the main clause must come next, so you get:
drøfter vi temaet
Pattern:
- first position: Først når vi har læst bogen
- second position: drøfter
- then subject: vi
This is very common in Danish. Compare:
- Vi drøfter temaet.
- I morgen drøfter vi temaet.
- Når vi er klar, drøfter vi temaet.
Why does Danish use har læst here?