Synes du, der er noget galt med køleskabet?

to be

Breakdown of Synes du, der er noget galt med køleskabet?

• med: with
• der: there
• du: you
• synes: to think
• køleskabet: the refrigerator
• noget: something
• galt: wrong

Questions & Answers about Synes du, der er noget galt med køleskabet?

What does Synes du mean in this sentence?

Synes du translates to “do you think” or “in your opinion”. It is used to ask someone for their personal judgment or belief.

Why is there a comma after du in the sentence?

The comma separates the introductory opinion clause (Synes du) from the following statement (der er noget galt med køleskabet). In Danish, this punctuation helps clarify that the speaker is asking for an opinion about what follows, much like inserting a brief pause in English.

What is the function of der in der er noget galt?

In this construction, der is a dummy subject similar to the English “there” in “there is”. It introduces the existential clause and indicates that something (in this case, noget galt) exists.

Why is køleskabet written as one word with the ending -et instead of a separate article like the refrigerator in English?

In Danish, the definite article is typically added as a suffix to the noun. Here, køleskab means “refrigerator” and the -et suffix turns it into “the refrigerator”. This is a common feature in Danish grammar.

How does the word order in this sentence compare to that of an English sentence with similar meaning?

While both Danish and English use a structure to ask for an opinion—English with “Do you think there is…” and Danish with “Synes du, der er…”—the Danish sentence separates the opinion phrase from the main clause with a comma. Additionally, notice the existential construction der er follows the introductory clause, which differs from the more straightforward word order in English.

Could the sentence be rephrased differently, and would that affect its meaning?

Yes, a native speaker might rearrange the sentence without changing the overall meaning. For example, one could say “Er der noget galt med køleskabet, synes du?” This alternative form still asks for the listener’s opinion while placing synes du at the end. However, the original structure is more common in spoken Danish for expressing opinions.