Learn Hardcore Danish: Hunden slikker sig, når den er beskidt.

In Danish, sig is a reflexive pronoun used when the subject performs an action on itself. So Hunden slikker sig literally means “The dog licks itself.”

Why is den used later in the sentence to refer to the dog?

Danish often uses den (common gender) or det (neuter gender) when referring back to a previously mentioned noun. Hunden is a common gender noun, so den is the correct pronoun.

What does når signify in this context?

Når means “when” in a general sense, indicating a habitual or recurring action—it happens whenever the dog is dirty.

Why is beskidt not changing form here?

Adjectives in Danish can change depending on the form (common gender, neuter, or plural). However, when used with er (is) and referring to a single common-gender subject like hunden, the adjective typically stays in its base form: beskidt.

What is the typical word order in Danish for a sentence like this?

Danish generally places the subject first (Hunden), followed by the verb (slikker), then the reflexive pronoun (sig). The adverbial or subordinate clause (når den er beskidt) comes after the main clause or can be placed at the beginning for emphasis.