Jeg tager den anden bog, hvis denne er for svær.

In Danish, when an adjective comes before a definite noun, you usually need both:

• a definite article: den
• the adjective in its definite form: anden
• the noun: bog

So den anden bog means the other book or the second book.

Compare:

• en anden bog = another book
• den anden bog = the other/the second book

This is a very common Danish pattern:

• den store bil = the big car
• det gamle hus = the old house

It can mean either, depending on context.

In den anden bog, anden can mean:

• the other book
• the second book

In this sentence, the natural meaning is usually the other book:
I’ll take the other book if this one is too difficult.

But grammatically, anden is the same word that can also mean second in the right context.

Denne means this or this one, while den usually means it, that, or the one depending on context.

Here, the speaker is contrasting two books:

• den anden bog = the other book
• denne = this one

So denne makes the contrast clear: I’ll take the other book if this one is too difficult.

If you used den instead, it would sound less clear and less natural in this sentence.

Because denne can work as a pronoun here, meaning this one.

The full idea is:

• hvis denne bog er for svær

But Danish often leaves out the noun when it is obvious from context. So:

• hvis denne er for svær = if this one is too difficult

English does the same thing:

• I like this book, but not that one
• I’ll take the other book if this one is too difficult

Because the implied noun is bog, and bog is a common gender noun in Danish.

• en bog
• therefore: svær

Agreement works like this in the singular:

• common gender: en svær bog
• neuter: et svært problem

Since denne refers to bog, the adjective stays in the common-gender form:

• denne er for svær

If it referred to a neuter noun, you would use svært instead.

Yes, tager literally means take.

• jeg tager = I take / I am taking

In this sentence, it means something like:

• I’ll take
• I’ll choose
• I’ll go with

So even though the literal verb is take, the natural English meaning is often: I’ll take the other book if this one is too difficult.

This is also a good example of Danish using the present tense for a future decision or intention.

Danish often uses the present tense for future meaning when the context makes it clear.

So:

• Jeg tager den anden bog
  can mean
• I take the other book
• I’m taking the other book
• I’ll take the other book

Here, because it is a decision depending on a condition, English often translates it with will: I’ll take the other book if this one is too difficult.

This is very normal in Danish.

Here, hvis means if.

So:

• hvis denne er for svær = if this one is too difficult

Be aware that hvis can also mean whose in other sentences, but not here. In this sentence, it is clearly the conditional if.

Because hvis introduces a subordinate clause, and subordinate clauses in Danish do not follow the main-clause verb-second pattern.

Main clause:

• Jeg tager den anden bog

Subordinate clause:

• hvis denne er for svær

In the subordinate clause, the subject usually comes before the finite verb:

• denne = subject
• er = verb

So the order is naturally:

• hvis denne er for svær

This is a key difference from main-clause word order in Danish.

Right. Here for means too.

So:

• for svær = too difficult

This is a very common Danish use of for before adjectives:

• for dyr = too expensive
• for lang = too long
• for svær = too difficult

So do not translate it as the English preposition for in this sentence.

Yes, but it sounds a bit more written or formal than everyday spoken Danish.

In speech, many Danes would often say:

• Jeg tager den anden bog, hvis den her er for svær.

Here:

• denne = more formal/written
• den her = very common in everyday speech

Both are correct. The version with denne is perfectly good Danish, especially in writing.

You may see both styles.

In this sentence, the comma marks the subordinate clause:

• Jeg tager den anden bog, hvis denne er for svær.

That is a very common way to write it. However, Danish comma usage can vary depending on the comma system or style being followed, so you may also encounter the sentence without the comma.

For a learner, the important point is that hvis denne er for svær is the conditional clause.