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Hvis jeg prøvede at lave suppe i ovnen, ville det nok gå galt, så jeg bruger altid gryden.

Hvis jeg prøvede at lave suppe i ovnen, ville det nok gå galt, så jeg bruger altid gryden.
If I tried to make soup in the oven, it would probably go wrong, so I always use the pot.

Breakdown of Hvis jeg prøvede at lave suppe i ovnen, ville det nok gå galt, så jeg bruger altid gryden.

jeg
I
i
in
bruge
to use
at
to
det
it
så
so
hvis
if
altid
always
lave
to make
gå galt
to go wrong
prøve
to try
ville
would
gryden
the pot
suppen
the soup
ovnen
the oven
nok
probably
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Questions & Answers about Hvis jeg prøvede at lave suppe i ovnen, ville det nok gå galt, så jeg bruger altid gryden.

Why does the sentence start with Hvis, and what does it do to the word order?

Hvis introduces a conditional clause (if ...). In Danish, a clause starting with Hvis has normal subordinate-clause word order (often called “V2 is turned off”): the finite verb typically comes after the subject, e.g. Hvis jeg prøvede ... (subject jeg before verb prøvede).
When that whole Hvis-clause is placed first, the following main clause must use V2 word order, so the finite verb comes right after the first element: ..., ville det ... (not det ville).

Why is it prøvede (past tense) instead of present tense?

Danish often uses past tense in hypothetical or unreal conditionals, similar to English If I tried ... / If I were to try .... Here prøvede signals a non-real, imagined situation rather than a real plan. It pairs naturally with ville in the main clause.

What’s the function of at in prøvede at lave?

In Danish, many verbs take an infinitive with at (like to in English).
So prøve at + infinitive = try to + verb:

  • prøvede at lave = tried to make
Is lave the only option here, or could you say koge?

lave suppe is very common and neutral: it means make soup (the whole process).
koge suppe focuses more specifically on boiling/cooking the soup. Both can be correct depending on what you want to emphasize, but lave is the broad, idiomatic choice.

Why is it i ovnen and not på ovnen?

With appliances/containers, Danish uses:

  • i ovnen = in the oven (inside it)
  • på komfuret = on the stove/cooktop (on top of it)

So soup being cooked using an oven is expressed as i ovnen.

How does ville work here—does it mean “want” or “would”?

Here ville is the modal meaning would (conditional). Danish vil/ville can mean:

  • want to (often present: jeg vil...)
  • would in hypotheticals (jeg ville...)

In this sentence it’s clearly conditional: ville det nok gå galt = it would probably go wrong.

Why is it det—what does det refer to?

det is a dummy/placeholder subject, like English it in it would go wrong. It refers to the whole situation/action (trying to make soup in the oven), not to a specific noun.

What does nok mean here, and where can it go in the sentence?

nok often means probably / likely. It commonly sits in the “adverb slot” after the finite verb in main clauses:

  • ville det nok gå galt

You can sometimes move it for emphasis, but this placement is very standard and natural for “probably”.

What does gå galt literally mean, and is it an idiom?

Literally gå = go, galt = wrong/badly, so gå galt = go wrong. It’s a very common idiom used for plans, processes, machines, etc.
Examples: Noget gik galt = Something went wrong.

What is the role of så in the middle of the sentence?

Here så means so/therefore, linking the result/conclusion to the previous clause:
..., så jeg bruger altid gryden. = ..., so I always use the pot.
It’s a coordinating connector introducing a new main clause.

Why is it gryden (definite) and not en gryde?

gryden is the definite form: the pot. Danish often uses the definite form when referring to a familiar or “default” item in the situation (the pot you normally use).
en gryde would sound like a (random) pot, often introducing it for the first time or emphasizing that it’s not a specific/expected one.

Why is altid placed after bruger?

In Danish main clauses, common time/frequency adverbs like altid typically come after the finite verb:

  • jeg bruger altid gryden
    That’s the neutral word order. Placing altid elsewhere is possible but usually adds emphasis or changes the rhythm.