Breakdown of Jeg vasker skærebrættet, så det bliver rent.
Questions & Answers about Jeg vasker skærebrættet, så det bliver rent.
In Danish, you normally put a comma before a subordinate clause. Here så means so that (purpose/result) and introduces a clause with its own subject and verb: så det bliver rent. That subordinate clause is therefore preceded by a comma.
Here it means so that / so (purpose or intended result): I wash the cutting board so that it becomes clean.
Danish så can also mean then, but in that meaning it’s typically more about sequence of events, and the structure/intonation differs.
Because så det bliver rent is a subordinate clause (introduced by så in the sense of so that). In Danish subordinate clauses, the basic order is:
- subject + adverbials (like ikke) + verb
So you get det bliver rent (subject det + verb bliver + complement rent).
Det is the common pronoun for it/that and it refers back to skærebrættet. Since skærebræt is neuter (et-word), the matching pronoun is det (not den).
Skærebrættet is the definite form: the cutting board. Danish often uses the definite form when talking about a specific, known item in the situation (e.g., the one you’re using).
- et skærebræt = a cutting board (indefinite)
- skærebræt = usually part of compounds, headlines, or more generic/abstract uses
- skærebrættet = the cutting board (specific)
The base noun is (et) skærebræt. For many neuter nouns, the definite ending is -et, added to the noun:
- skærebræt
- -et → skærebrættet
You also see a spelling adjustment: the t is doubled (bræt + tet → brættet) to reflect Danish spelling conventions around short vowels.
Because rent agrees with a neuter subject. Skærebræt is neuter (et-word), and the pronoun det is also neuter, so the adjective takes -t:
- common gender: ren (e.g., den bliver ren)
- neuter: rent (here: det bliver rent)
- plural/definite: rene (e.g., de bliver rene)
Bliver emphasizes a change of state: it goes from not clean to clean. With er, you would mainly state a condition, not the result of the washing.
- så det bliver rent = so that it ends up clean
- så det er rent = so that it is (in a clean state) — possible, but less “process/result” focused
Yes. Danish typically uses the simple present (vasker) for both:
- habitual actions (I wash...) and
- actions happening right now (I’m washing...)
Context does the work; Danish doesn’t require a progressive form the way English often does.
No. Ren would be wrong here because it’s the common-gender form. Since det refers to the neuter noun skærebræt, you need neuter rent.
- så (here) introduces a purpose/result: I do X so that Y happens
- fordi introduces a reason/cause: I do X because Y is true
So:
- Jeg vasker skærebrættet, så det bliver rent. = purpose/result
- Jeg vasker skærebrættet, fordi det er beskidt. = reason (because it’s dirty)
A few common pronunciation points:
- skære- has an æ sound and often a slightly “open” vowel quality.
- bræt contains æ as well.
- The -et ending in brættet is often reduced in natural speech (the vowel can be quite weak).
- Danish r can affect surrounding vowels; many learners find the vowel quality changes subtly around r in skære.
(Exact pronunciation varies by region, but those are the usual learner pitfalls.)