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Opvaskemaskinen larmer lidt, men den sparer os tid.

Opvaskemaskinen larmer lidt, men den sparer os tid.
The dishwasher is a bit noisy, but it saves us time.

Breakdown of Opvaskemaskinen larmer lidt, men den sparer os tid.

men
but
den
it
tiden
the time
spare
to save
lidt
a bit
os
us
opvaskemaskinen
the dishwasher
larme
to make noise
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Questions & Answers about Opvaskemaskinen larmer lidt, men den sparer os tid.

Why is it opvaskemaskinen and not en opvaskemaskine?

Opvaskemaskinen is the definite form: the dishwasher. Danish often marks definiteness by adding -en/-et to the noun (and sometimes also a separate definite article if there’s an adjective).

  • en opvaskemaskine = a dishwasher (indefinite)
  • opvaskemaskinen = the dishwasher (definite)
How is opvaskemaskinen built, and do I need to learn it as one word?

Yes—Danish loves compounds, written as one word.
opvaskemaskinen = opvask (dishwashing) + maskine (machine) + -n (definite ending)
In everyday Danish you’ll meet lots of long compounds like this; the last part decides the grammatical gender/article: maskine is common gender (en), so the definite ending is -en.

What does larmer mean grammatically, and what tense is it?

larmer is the present tense of the verb at larme = to make noise / to be noisy.
Danish present tense is often formed with -r:

  • jeg larmer = I make noise
  • maskinen larmer = the machine is noisy / makes noise
Why is lidt placed after the verb (larmer lidt)?

lidt is an adverb meaning a little / slightly. In Danish, short adverbs like lidt, ofte, aldrig typically come after the finite verb in a simple main clause:

  • Den larmer lidt. = It’s a bit noisy.
Why is there a comma before men?

In Danish, it’s standard to put a comma before coordinating conjunctions like men (but) when they connect two clauses, especially when each side could stand as its own sentence:

  • Opvaskemaskinen larmer lidt, men den sparer os tid.
    You’ll also see styles where commas are used more or less, but this comma is very common and safe.
Why does the second part start with den?

den is the 3rd-person singular common-gender pronoun meaning it (for common gender nouns). It refers back to opvaskemaskinen (common gender).

  • common gender: den
  • neuter gender: det
    So here: opvaskemaskinen … men den … = the dishwasher … but it …
Could I repeat the noun instead of using den?

Yes, but it sounds heavier and less natural. Both are grammatical:

  • Natural: …, men den sparer os tid.
  • Heavier: …, men opvaskemaskinen sparer os tid.
    Pronouns are preferred when the reference is clear.
Why is the word order den sparer os tid and not den os sparer tid?

Danish main clauses follow V2 word order: the finite verb is in the second position.
Here, the first position is den, so the verb sparer must come next:
1) den (position 1)
2) sparer (verb, position 2)
Then come objects and other parts: os tid.

What exactly is happening in sparer os tid—is os an object?

Yes. os is the object pronoun meaning us. The verb at spare can take an indirect-object-like pronoun: save someone time/money/effort.

  • Den sparer os tid. = It saves us time.
    You can compare:
  • Den sparer mig tid. = It saves me time.
  • Den sparer hende tid. = It saves her time.
Why is it tid without an article—why not en tid?

In Danish, tid is often used as a mass/abstract noun meaning time in general, so you typically don’t use an article:

  • sparer os tid = saves us time
    If you mean a specific amount/instance, you might add something:
  • sparer os meget tid = saves us a lot of time
  • sparer os en masse tid = saves us lots of time
Is men the same as English but, and does it change word order?

men works like English but as a coordinating conjunction. It links two main clauses, and the second clause still uses normal V2 main-clause word order:

  • …, men den sparer … (subject + verb right after)
How would pronunciation likely work for key parts like opvaskemaskinen and larmer?

A practical learner-focused guide:

  • opvaskemaskinen: stress is usually on the first part of the compound: OP-vaske-ma-ski-nen (with Danish reduced vowels in the middle).
  • larmer: roughly LAH-mer, with a soft, quick second syllable.
    Exact sounds vary by accent; if you want, I can provide IPA and syllable stress more precisely.