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Hvis cykelkæden går i stykker igen, vil jeg købe en ny med det samme.

Hvis cykelkæden går i stykker igen, vil jeg købe en ny med det samme.
If the bicycle chain breaks again, I will buy a new one right away.
FromLesson 16inHardcore Danish

Breakdown of Hvis cykelkæden går i stykker igen, vil jeg købe en ny med det samme.

jeg
I
købe
to buy
hvis
if
igen
again
ville
will
med det samme
right away
cykelkæden
the bicycle chain
gå i stykker
to break
en ny
a new one
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Questions & Answers about Hvis cykelkæden går i stykker igen, vil jeg købe en ny med det samme.

Why does the verb come right after Hvis in Hvis cykelkæden går i stykker igen?

In Danish, a Hvis-clause is a subordinate clause, so it normally follows subordinate word order:
Hvis + subject + verb + …
So you get Hvis cykelkæden går … (subject cykelkæden, verb går).
The “verb-second” rule (V2) applies to main clauses, not to this subordinate clause.

Why is the word order vil jeg købe… and not jeg vil købe…?

Because the sentence starts with a subordinate clause (Hvis…), the main clause that follows uses inversion (V2 rule): the finite verb comes before the subject.
So after the comma you get: vil (finite verb) + jeg (subject) + købe (infinitive).
If the sentence started with the subject, it would be: Jeg vil købe en ny med det samme.

What exactly does vil mean here—future tense or “want to”?

Vil can mean both, depending on context. Here it expresses a decision/intention in the future:

  • …vil jeg købe en ny… = I’ll buy a new one… / I’m going to buy a new one…
    It’s not “want” in the sense of desire for its own sake, but more like I will / I’m going to as a plan.
Why is går in the present tense if the breaking happens in the future?

Danish often uses the present tense in conditional clauses about the future, similar to English:

  • English: If it breaks again, I’ll buy a new one. (present in the if-clause)
  • Danish: Hvis … går i stykker igen, vil jeg …
    So går is normal here even though it refers to a possible future event.
What does går i stykker literally mean, and is it a fixed expression?

Yes, it’s a very common fixed expression meaning to break / to stop working. Literally it’s like “go into pieces.”
You can use it for many things:

  • Min telefon går i stykker. (My phone breaks.)
  • Maskinen gik i stykker. (The machine broke.)
Why is it cykelkæden and not en cykelkæde?

Cykelkæden is the definite form (“the bicycle chain”). In context, it’s usually a specific, known chain (e.g., the one on your bike).

  • en cykelkæde = “a bicycle chain” (any one)
  • cykelkæden = “the bicycle chain” (a specific one)
How is cykelkæden formed?

It’s a compound plus the definite ending:

  • cykel (bicycle) + kæde (chain) → cykelkæde (bicycle chain)
    Then definite singular common gender adds -n: cykelkæde-n → cykelkæden.
Why is it en ny and not en ny cykelkæde?

En ny means “a new one” and relies on context to supply the noun (here: cykelkæde). Danish does this a lot to avoid repetition.
You can say the full version too: …vil jeg købe en ny cykelkæde… (a new bicycle chain).

Why is it en ny (not et nyt)?

Because cykelkæde is common gender (en-word), so the adjective takes the -y form:

  • en ny (cykelkæde)
    If it were a neuter noun (et-word), you’d use nyt, e.g. et nyt hus (a new house).
What does med det samme mean, and can I move it around?

Med det samme is an idiom meaning “immediately / right away.”
It’s most natural at the end, but you can sometimes place it earlier for emphasis:

  • …vil jeg købe en ny med det samme. (most common)
  • …vil jeg med det samme købe en ny. (more emphatic)
Why is igen placed after i stykker?

Igen (“again”) commonly goes after the verb phrase it modifies. Here it modifies the whole event går i stykker:

  • går i stykker igen = breaks again
    You could move igen earlier in some sentences, but this placement is the most natural here.
Is the comma required after the Hvis-clause?

Yes—Danish uses a comma to separate a leading subordinate clause from the main clause:
Hvis … igen, vil jeg …
So the comma is standard in this structure.