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Hun laver også pasta i en anden gryde, mens jeg rører i suppen.

Hun laver også pasta i en anden gryde, mens jeg rører i suppen.
She also makes pasta in another pot while I stir the soup.

Breakdown of Hun laver også pasta i en anden gryde, mens jeg rører i suppen.

jeg
I
i
in
hun
she
også
also
mens
while
lave
to make
gryden
the pot
suppen
the soup
pastaen
the pasta
en anden
another
røre i
to stir
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Questions & Answers about Hun laver også pasta i en anden gryde, mens jeg rører i suppen.

Why is it Hun laver også pasta and not Hun også laver pasta?

In a normal main clause, Danish follows V2 word order: the finite verb (here laver) comes in the 2nd position.
So you get:

  • Hun (position 1) + laver (position 2) + også
    • pasta
      Putting også before the verb (Hun også laver…) would break V2 in a simple declarative main clause.
What does også attach to here—does it mean she also makes pasta or she makes pasta too (in addition to something else)?

Også means also/too, and its scope depends on context. In this position (after the verb), it commonly means “in addition” in a general sense:

  • Hun laver også pasta = She also makes pasta / She’s making pasta too (as well).

If you wanted to stress pasta specifically (“also pasta, not only something else”), Danish might rearrange or add emphasis in context, but this sentence is the neutral “also/too.”

Why is it i en anden gryde and not på en anden gryde?

With containers like a pot, Danish uses i (“in”) for location:

  • i en gryde = in a pot
    På (“on”) would be used for surfaces (e.g., on a table), not for something contained inside a pot.
What’s the difference between gryde and pande?
  • en gryde = a pot/saucepan (typically deeper, for boiling, soups, pasta, etc.)
  • en pande = a frying pan/skillet (shallow, for frying)

So pasta i en anden gryde is natural: pasta is boiled in a pot.

Why is it en anden gryde and not en anden en gryde or en anden gryden?
  • en is the indefinite article: en gryde = a pot
  • anden is an adjective meaning other/another, and it goes before the noun: en anden gryde = another pot
    You don’t repeat en.

gryden would be definite (the pot). If you meant “in the other pot” (a specific one known in the situation), you might say:

  • i den anden gryde = in the other pot
Why does Danish use mens here, and how is it different from imens?

Both mens and imens can mean while. In modern Danish:

  • mens is the most common and neutral for “while”
  • imens is also possible, sometimes slightly more “written” or emphasizing simultaneity

Your sentence with mens is completely standard.

Why is it mens jeg rører i suppen and not mens jeg rører suppen?

In Danish, røre often takes the preposition i when it means “stir (around) in” something:

  • at røre i suppen = to stir the soup (stir in the soup/pot)

You can sometimes hear røre suppen, but røre i is very common and idiomatic for stirring contents.

What does rører mean exactly, and why is it in that form?

rører is the present tense of at røre (to stir):

  • infinitive: at røre
  • present: (jeg) rører
  • past: (jeg) rørte
  • past participle: har rørt

So mens jeg rører i suppen means “while I am stirring the soup.”

Why is the word order different after mens?

After mens, you have a subordinate clause, and Danish typically uses verb-late order (the finite verb comes after the subject and adverbs):

  • mens jeg rører i suppen (subject jeg before verb rører)

Compare main clause V2:

  • Jeg rører i suppen. (verb rører is 2nd)
Could I say mens jeg rører suppen rundt instead?

Yes, that’s a natural alternative:

  • mens jeg rører suppen rundt = while I stir the soup around

røre i suppen focuses on stirring in the soup; røre … rundt emphasizes the circular motion. Both work; røre i is very idiomatic.

Does laver literally mean “makes,” and is that the normal verb for cooking?

Yes. at lave literally means to make/do, and it’s widely used for preparing/cooking food in everyday Danish:

  • Hun laver pasta = She’s making/cooking pasta

You can also use at koge (boil) / at stege (fry) for more specific cooking methods, but lave is the common general verb.

Can pasta be used without an article in Danish?

Yes. Food items are often used as bare nouns when you mean the substance/meal generally:

  • Hun laver pasta = She’s making pasta.

If you mean a specific portion/type, you might add something:

  • en pasta is not typical in the “a pasta” sense, but you could say en pastaret (a pasta dish) or specify noget pasta (some pasta).
Is this sentence talking about the present or the future?

Grammatically it’s present tense (laver, rører), but Danish present can describe:

  • what’s happening right now (“She’s making… while I stir…”)
  • or a scheduled/near-future action in the right context

Without extra context, it most naturally sounds like right now.