Questions & Answers about Jeg kommer sent til skolen.
What does each word in Jeg kommer sent til skolen mean in English?
Jeg means I, kommer translates as come or am coming, sent means late, til translates as to, and skolen is the definite form of skole, meaning the school. Notice that Danish often attaches the article directly to the noun as a suffix.
How is the present action conveyed in this sentence without a separate continuous form like “am coming”?
Danish uses the simple present tense to express both habitual and ongoing actions. In the sentence, kommer is in the present tense, and context tells you whether it means a routine occurrence or an action taking place right now.
Why is the adverb sent placed immediately after the verb kommer?
In Danish, adverbs generally follow the verb they modify. Placing sent after kommer is typical and clearly indicates that the arrival is late.
Why do we see skolen instead of a separate article plus the noun (as in “the school”)?
Danish expresses definiteness by attaching a suffix to the noun. Here, skole becomes skolen to mean the school, so there is no need for a separate word for “the.”