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Jeg lader døren stå på klem, mens jeg støvsuger, så der kommer frisk luft ind.

Jeg lader døren stå på klem, mens jeg støvsuger, så der kommer frisk luft ind.
I leave the door slightly open while I vacuum so fresh air comes in.
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Questions & Answers about Jeg lader døren stå på klem, mens jeg støvsuger, så der kommer frisk luft ind.

Why does Danish use lader here—what verb is it and how does the construction work?

Lader is the present tense of at lade (to let / allow / leave). In Danish it often works like a “causative / permissive” verb:

  • Jeg lader døren stå ... = I let/leave the door standing ... It takes an object (døren) + an infinitive verb (stå) without at:
  • lade + [object] + infinitive (no at)
Why is it stå and not står after lader?

After at lade, the following verb is in the infinitive form, so stå (infinitive) is correct.
Står would be finite present tense and would normally form its own clause, which is not what’s happening here.

What does stå på klem mean grammatically—why stå (“stand”)?

stå på klem is a fixed expression meaning to be left ajar / slightly open (usually a door or window). Danish often describes states with posture verbs like stå / sidde / ligge:

  • Døren står åben = the door is open
  • Døren står på klem = the door is ajar
    So stå here describes the door’s state/position, not that it is literally “standing” in the English sense.
What does på klem literally mean, and why is it på?

Literally, klem relates to something being pinched/clamped, and på klem has become an idiom meaning slightly open.
The preposition på is just part of the established phrase; it’s not normally interchangeable in this idiom.

Why is the door døren and not en dør?

døren is the definite form: the door.

  • en dør = a door
  • døren = the door
    Danish commonly uses the definite form when the item is understood from context (e.g., the door in your home/apartment).
What is the role of mens in the sentence?

mens means while and introduces a subordinate time clause:

  • mens jeg støvsuger = while I vacuum
    It signals that two actions happen at the same time: leaving the door ajar and vacuuming.
Can I use imens instead of mens?

Often yes: mens and imens can both mean while.
Typical tendency:

  • mens is very common and neutral.
  • imens can sound slightly more explicit as “in the meantime/while that happens,” but in many everyday sentences they’re interchangeable.
Why does it say jeg støvsuger (present tense) instead of something like “I am vacuuming”?

Danish typically uses the simple present for both:

  • habitual actions (“I vacuum”)
  • actions happening right now (“I’m vacuuming”)
    So jeg støvsuger can naturally mean “I vacuum” or “I’m vacuuming,” depending on context.
What is støvsuger as a word—noun or verb?

It can be both:

  • en støvsuger = a vacuum cleaner (noun)
  • at støvsuge = to vacuum (verb)
    Here, jeg støvsuger is the verb in present tense. (The base verb is støvsuge.)
Why is there a comma before mens and before så?

Danish uses commas to mark subordinate clauses more consistently than English. Here:

  • Comma before mens: introduces the subordinate clause mens jeg støvsuger
  • Comma before så: separates the next clause expressing a consequence/purpose
    Comma rules vary (traditional vs. “new comma”), but this punctuation is very common and acceptable.
What does så do here—does it mean “so” as a result or “so that” as a purpose?

Here så introduces a consequence/purpose-like continuation: so (that).
In practice, Danish så often covers both:

  • result: “so, therefore”
  • purpose: “so that”
    The following der-clause makes it feel close to “so that fresh air comes in.”
Why does it say så der kommer frisk luft ind—what is der doing?

der here is a dummy subject (like English “there” in “there comes…”). Danish often uses der when something is being introduced as new information:

  • der kommer frisk luft ind = there comes fresh air in / fresh air comes in
    It helps keep the sentence structure natural, especially when the real subject (frisk luft) comes after the verb.
Could it be written without der?

Yes, you can also say:

  • ... så frisk luft kommer ind.
    That’s grammatical and common too. Using der often sounds a bit more “existential/introduction-like,” similar to “so there’s fresh air coming in.”
Why is it kommer ... ind split up—why not keep kommer ind together?

ind is a directional particle (like “in” in “come in”). In Danish, these particles often come after the object/subject content:

  • der kommer frisk luft ind
    Placing ind at the end is very natural. You can say kommer ind together in some contexts, but with more words in between, Danish commonly “parks” the particle later.
What word order changes happen in the subordinate clause mens jeg støvsuger?

In Danish subordinate clauses (introduced by mens, at, fordi, etc.), the basic order is:

  • conjunction + subject + (adverb) + verb
    So mens jeg støvsuger keeps the verb after the subject, unlike main-clause V2 word order effects.
How would this differ if the mens-clause came first?

If you start with the subordinate clause, Danish main clause word order changes (V2 rule):

  • Mens jeg støvsuger, lader jeg døren stå på klem, så der kommer frisk luft ind.
    Notice lader jeg (verb comes before subject) in the main clause after the initial subordinate clause.
Any pronunciation traps in this sentence?

A few common ones:

  • jeg is often reduced in speech (roughly “yai”/“yei” depending on accent; not a hard g).
  • døren: the ø vowel is unfamiliar to English speakers.
  • støvsuger: stress is typically on the first part (STØV-), and the d in støv is soft.
  • kommer: the r is Danish (often uvular), and vowels can be quite reduced.
  • frisk luft: luft ends with a clear t, but the vowel is short and the cluster can be tricky.