Til sidst betaler jeg kontant, fordi min veninde låner mig lidt penge.

In the end I pay in cash because my (female) friend lends me a little money.

Breakdown of Til sidst betaler jeg kontant, fordi min veninde låner mig lidt penge.

• jeg: I
• min: my
• mig: me
• fordi: because
• lidt: a little
• veninden: the (female) friend
• pengene: the money
• betale: to pay
• til sidst: in the end
• kontant: in cash
• låne: to lend

Questions & Answers about Til sidst betaler jeg kontant, fordi min veninde låner mig lidt penge.

What does Til sidst mean, and is it the same as endelig?

Til sidst means in the end / finally / eventually in the sense of “after everything else happened.” It often implies a sequence of events.
Endelig can also mean finally, but it more strongly suggests relief, impatience, or that something took a long time (like “at last”).
So Til sidst betaler jeg kontant is more like “In the end, I pay cash.”

Why is Til sidst placed at the beginning—could it go elsewhere?

Yes, it can move. Danish is flexible with adverbs/time expressions, but placement affects emphasis and word order. Common options:

• Til sidst betaler jeg kontant ... (focus on the timeline/conclusion)
• Jeg betaler til sidst kontant ... (more neutral; still fine)
• Jeg betaler kontant til sidst ... (puts “in the end” as an afterthought)

When you start the sentence with Til sidst, Danish triggers V2 word order (see next question).

Why is the word order Til sidst betaler jeg ... and not Til sidst jeg betaler ...?

Main clauses in Danish follow the V2 rule: the finite verb (here betaler) must be in the second position.
If something other than the subject comes first (Til sidst), the verb still has to be second, so the subject moves after the verb:

• Til sidst (1st slot) + betaler (2nd slot) + jeg (subject)

What tense is betaler, and why is Danish using present tense here?

Betaler is present tense of at betale (to pay). Danish present tense is often used for:

• habitual/general actions (“I pay cash”)
• narrative present (telling a story in a lively way)
• near-future (“I’m paying / I will pay” depending on context)

Without more context, it’s simply a normal present-tense statement.

Is kontant an adjective or an adverb here, and why isn’t it kontante?

Here kontant functions adverbially, meaning in cash / with cash—it describes how you pay.
So you say: betaler jeg kontant.
Kontante would typically appear when it modifies a noun in definite/plural form, e.g. de kontante penge (the cash money), which is a different structure.

Could you also say Jeg betaler med kontanter instead of Jeg betaler kontant?

Yes—both are common:

• Jeg betaler kontant = “I pay cash” (very natural, compact)
• Jeg betaler med kontanter = “I pay with cash” (also natural; slightly more explicit)

Both express the same basic idea; kontant is often the more idiomatic everyday choice.

Why is there a comma before fordi?

Because fordi introduces a subordinate clause (because ...). In standard Danish punctuation, you normally put a comma before subordinate clauses:

• ..., fordi min veninde låner mig lidt penge.

Some informal writing drops commas more freely, but the comma here is considered correct in standard writing.

What happens to word order after fordi?

After fordi, you’re in a subordinate clause, which usually has subject before the finite verb (unlike V2 main clauses).
So you get:

• ... fordi min veninde låner ... (subject min veninde
  • verb låner)

If you add adverbs like ikke, they typically go before the verb in subordinate clauses:

• ... fordi min veninde ikke låner mig penge.

Does min veninde specifically mean a female friend? What if the friend is male?

Yes, veninde is specifically a female friend.
For a male friend, you use ven:

• min ven = my (male) friend
  Danish often distinguishes these, especially in the singular.

I’m confused by låner—does it mean “borrow” or “lend”?

At låne can mean both, depending on who is doing what:

• If the subject gives something temporarily: She lends me money → Min veninde låner mig penge.
• If the subject receives something temporarily: I borrow money → Jeg låner penge (af min veninde).

So in your sentence, because min veninde is the subject and mig is the receiver, it means she lends me.

Why is it låner mig and not låner jeg or låner til mig?

Mig is the object pronoun (me), used because the friend is lending to me:

• min veninde låner mig ... = “my friend lends me ...”

You can also say:

• min veninde låner penge til mig (possible, but often sounds more marked/less direct) The most natural phrasing for “lend someone money” is typically låne nogen penge (lend someone money).

Why is it lidt penge and not lidt pengeR or nogle penge?

Penge is usually treated as a mass noun (“money”), so it often stays as penge (no singular form used in everyday Danish).
Lidt penge = “a little money” (small amount, mass-noun feel)
Nogle penge = “some money” (unspecified amount; can feel a bit more neutral)

Both can be correct. Lidt penge emphasizes that it’s not much.

How would the pronunciation likely sound for tricky parts like Til sidst, betaler, and låner?

Approximate guidance (varies by accent):

• Til sidst: the d in sidst is typically very soft/weak; consonant cluster can sound compact.
• betaler: stress usually on the last syllable: be-ta-LER (with a Danish “soft” r)
• låner: first syllable has a long vowel lå-; again a Danish “r” at the end

If you want, I can give a slow “spelling-style” pronunciation or IPA for a specific Danish accent (Copenhagen vs. Jutland, etc.).