Overraskelsen bliver afsløret, når alle gæster ankommer.

The surprise is revealed when all the guests arrive.

Breakdown of Overraskelsen bliver afsløret, når alle gæster ankommer.

• når: when
• ankomme: to arrive
• overraskelsen: the surprise
• blive afsløret: to be revealed
• alle: all
• gæsten: the guest

Questions & Answers about Overraskelsen bliver afsløret, når alle gæster ankommer.

Why does the sentence use bliver afsløret instead of something like er afsløret?

In Danish, bliver can express a change of state or something that happens at a specific moment. Using bliver afsløret suggests the surprise is revealed at the time the guests arrive. On the other hand, er afsløret would sound more like the surprise is already revealed before that moment.

How do you pronounce the words Overraskelsen, afsløret, and ankommer in Danish?

• Overraskelsen → /ˈoːvəʁɑskəlˌsən/ (think of the first syllable as "o-va," with an open "o" sound, and the stressed syllable on "ras").
• afsløret → /ɑfˈsløːʌð/ (the "af" is short and crisp, the "slø" has a rounded "ø" vowel, and the final "ret" is softer, often sounding like "rð" or "r/ð").
• ankommer → /ˈɑnˌkʌmˀɐ/ (stress on the first syllable, with a short, crisp "an," then "kommer" with a soft “k” and the characteristic stød (glottal stop) in "kommer").

Why does the sentence use når instead of da?

Danish distinguishes between når and da in a way similar to English "when" for present or future actions (når) versus "when" for past actions (da). Because the sentence talks about something that will happen in the future (when the guests arrive), når is the correct choice. Da is used if you’re referring to something that happened in the past.

Why do we say alle gæster without any article in front?

In Danish, phrases like alle gæster (all guests) naturally omit an article. It’s similar to how in English you’d say “when all guests arrive,” rather than “when the all guests arrive.” The word alle serves as a quantifier, so no additional article is needed.

What is the role of Overraskelsen here?

Overraskelsen is the sentence subject. It’s in the definite form, indicated by the “-en” ending. Even though it comes first, it follows standard Danish word order: [Subject] + [Verb phrase] + [Subordinate Clause]. Overraskelsen also matches with bliver afsløret, forming the core structure of the main clause.