Log inSign up

Feberen falder, når medicinen virker.

Feberen falder, når medicinen virker.
The fever goes down when the medicine works.

Breakdown of Feberen falder, når medicinen virker.

når
when
medicinen
the medicine
virke
to work
feberen
the fever
falde
to go down
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Danish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Danish now

Questions & Answers about Feberen falder, når medicinen virker.

Why does feber become feberen here?

Danish often uses the definite form when talking about the specific fever the person has right now.

  • feber = fever (in general / as a concept)
  • feberen = the fever (the one we’re talking about)
    The definite is made by adding -en to common-gender nouns: feber + en → feberen.
What does falder literally mean, and why is it used with fever?

at falde literally means to fall. Danish commonly uses it metaphorically for things that go down: temperature, prices, fever, etc.
So Feberen falder is the natural Danish way to say the fever goes down / decreases.

Is falder present tense? Why not a future form like vil falde?

Yes, falder is present tense. Danish uses the present tense a lot for general statements and typical results, similar to English:

  • Feberen falder, når medicinen virker. = The fever goes down when the medicine works.
    You can use vil falde if you want a more explicit prediction:
  • Feberen vil falde, når medicinen virker. = The fever will go down once the medicine works.
What’s the role of når here, and how is it different from hvis?

når introduces a time/condition clause meaning when / whenever (often implying it’s expected to happen).
hvis means if (more hypothetical/uncertain).

  • … når medicinen virker = when the medicine works (expected)
  • … hvis medicinen virker = if the medicine works (not guaranteed)
Why is there a comma before når?

Because når medicinen virker is a subordinate clause, and Danish normally separates subordinate clauses with a comma. In many styles (especially formal writing), that comma is standard:

  • Feberen falder, når medicinen virker.
Why is the word order medicinen virker and not virker medicinen?

In Danish subordinate clauses (introduced by words like når), you generally get subject + verb (no V2 inversion).
So you say:

  • når medicinen virker (when the medicine works)
    In a main clause, Danish often has V2 word order, which can cause inversion in questions or when something else is first:
  • Virker medicinen? (Does the medicine work?)
  • Nu virker medicinen. (Now the medicine works.)
Why is medicin also definite: medicinen?

Same idea as feberen: it refers to the specific medicine being taken in the situation.

  • medicin = medicine (in general)
  • medicinen = the medicine (the one you gave/took)
Does virker mean “works” as in “functions,” or “works” as in “has an effect”?

It can mean both, but here it means has an effect (i.e., the treatment is effective).
So medicinen virker = the medicine is working / taking effect.

Could I also say Temperaturen falder instead of Feberen falder?

Yes. Both are natural, but they focus on different things:

  • Feberen falder = the fever is going down (medical condition)
  • Temperaturen falder = the temperature is dropping (more measurement-focused)
How do I pronounce the sentence roughly?

A practical approximation (varies by accent):

  • Feberen ≈ FEH-buh-ren
  • falder ≈ FAL-ðer (the d is a soft Danish d, not a clear English d)
  • når ≈ naw (often with a “stød”/glottal effect in many accents)
  • medicinen ≈ meh-dee-SEE-nen
  • virker ≈ VEER-ker