Jeg gik ned til butikken for at købe shampoo til mit hår.

I went down to the shop to buy shampoo for my hair.

Breakdown of Jeg gik ned til butikken for at købe shampoo til mit hår.

• jeg: I
• gå: to go
• til: to
• at: to
• købe: to buy
• mit: my
• til: for
• ned: down
• butikken: the shop
• shampooen: the shampoo
• håret: the hair

Questions & Answers about Jeg gik ned til butikken for at købe shampoo til mit hår.

What is the role of ned in the sentence?

Ned translates as “down” and indicates the direction of the movement. It tells us that the speaker moved downward or to a lower area (for example, from a higher floor) when going to the store.

What is the function of the phrase for at in the sentence?

The phrase for at means “in order to” and is used to introduce a purpose clause. In this sentence, it explains that the purpose of going to the store was to buy shampoo.

Why is the verb købe in its infinitive form following for at?

In Danish, when you use for at to indicate purpose, the following verb must be in the infinitive form. Thus, købe (“buy”) is used in its base form to show the intended action.

There are two instances of til in the sentence. How do their functions differ?

The first til in til butikken indicates a destination (meaning “to the store”), while the second til in til mit hår shows for whom or for what the shampoo is intended (meaning “for my hair”). Although they are spelled the same, their roles depend on the context.

Why is mit used before hår instead of min?

In Danish, the possessive pronoun adapts to the gender of the noun. Hår is a neuter noun, so the neuter possessive mit (“my”) is required rather than min, which is used with common-gender nouns.

What tense is the verb gik, and what is its base form?

Gik is the simple past tense of the verb at gå (“to go”). Its usage here indicates that the action of going to the store happened in the past.