Flyet lander sent i lufthavnen, fordi toget var forsinket.

The plane lands late at the airport because the train was delayed.

Breakdown of Flyet lander sent i lufthavnen, fordi toget var forsinket.

• være: to be
• fordi: because
• sent: late
• toget: the train

Questions & Answers about Flyet lander sent i lufthavnen, fordi toget var forsinket.

Why is lander in the present tense when the English translation would usually use the past (landed)?

Danish doesn’t always match English tenses one‑to‑one. You’ll often see the present tense in Danish where English would naturally use the past.

• Flyet lander sent i lufthavnen, fordi toget var forsinket.
  literally: The plane lands late in the airport, because the train was delayed.

This kind of Danish present is similar to:

• A “live” commentary:
  Så kommer han… nu skyder han… bolden går i mål!
  (Here he comes… now he shoots… the ball goes in the goal!)

• Or a very vivid narration of a past event, where Danish keeps the present in the main clause but may still use the past in the reason clause.

You could also say:

• Flyet landede sent i lufthavnen, fordi toget var forsinket.
  (both clauses in past; this is completely normal Danish)

So:

• lander (present) gives a more “immediate” or neutral statement about something (maybe still true in general or on a schedule).
• landede (past) places the event clearly in the past.

Both are grammatically correct; the choice depends on style and context.

Why is it flyet and not just fly? What does the -et ending mean?