Breakdown of Det er ikke kun lønnen, der betyder noget for hende; det er også nødvendigt for hende at gøre noget fornuftigt for andre.
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Questions & Answers about Det er ikke kun lønnen, der betyder noget for hende; det er også nødvendigt for hende at gøre noget fornuftigt for andre.
Why does the sentence start with Det er and not Lønnen er?
This is a typical cleft sentence in Danish, used to emphasize a particular part of the sentence.
- Det er ikke kun lønnen, der betyder noget for hende
literally: It is not only the salary that means something to her.
The structure is:
- Det er + [emphasized element] + der/som + [rest of the clause]
So instead of the more neutral:
- Lønnen betyder ikke kun noget for hende (The salary doesn’t just matter to her),
Danish uses:
- Det er ikke kun lønnen, der betyder noget for hende
to highlight lønnen as the focused element: It’s not only the salary that matters to her...
Why is it lønnen and not just løn?
Lønen is the definite form of løn (salary, pay).
- løn = a salary / salary (indefinite)
- lønnen = the salary (definite)
In this context, English says “the salary” or often just “salary” without “the”, but Danish must mark definiteness:
- Det er ikke kun lønnen...
It’s not only the salary (aspect) that matters...
This refers to her salary in general, as a known, specific thing in her life, so the definite form -en is natural in Danish.
What is the function of der in lønnen, der betyder noget? Can it be som?