Hvis smerten kommer igen, bestiller hun tid hos lægen.

This is because Danish follows the V2 rule in main clauses: the finite verb usually comes in the second position.

The sentence starts with the subordinate clause Hvis smerten kommer igen. After that whole clause, the main clause begins, and the verb must come first in the main clause structure:

• Hvis smerten kommer igen, bestiller hun tid hos lægen.

So even though hun is the subject, bestiller comes before it because something else has taken the first position.

Compare:

• Hun bestiller tid hos lægen. = normal word order
• Hvis smerten kommer igen, bestiller hun tid hos lægen. = verb before subject because the sentence opens with another clause

This is very common in Danish.

Hvis means if.

It introduces a condition:

• Hvis smerten kommer igen = If the pain comes back / returns

In Danish, hvis is used much like English if when talking about a possible situation.

Examples:

• Hvis det regner, bliver vi hjemme. = If it rains, we stay home.
• Hvis hun ringer, svarer jeg. = If she calls, I answer.

Danish often uses the present tense where English might use will in conditional sentences.

So:

• Hvis smerten kommer igen, bestiller hun tid hos lægen.

literally looks like:

• If the pain comes again, she books an appointment with the doctor.

But in natural English, you would usually say:

• If the pain comes back, she will make an appointment with the doctor.

This is normal in Danish. Present tense can express a future result when the context already makes it clear.

Smerten means the pain.

The base noun is:

• smerte = pain

Adding -n or -en often makes a noun definite in Danish, like the in English:

• en smerte = a pain
• smerten = the pain

So here, smerten refers to a specific pain already known from the context.

In Danish, komme igen is a very natural way to say come back or return.

• kommer = comes
• igen = again

Together:

• kommer igen = comes again / comes back / returns

This is a common pattern in Danish. Sometimes Danish uses a simple verb plus an adverb where English might prefer a single verb.

Bestille tid is a very common Danish expression meaning to book an appointment or make an appointment.

Word by word:

• bestille = order / book
• tid = time

But together, in this context:

• bestille tid hos lægen = book an appointment with the doctor

This is idiomatic Danish. You should learn bestille tid as a fixed expression, especially for doctors, dentists, hairdressers, and similar services.

Examples:

• Jeg skal bestille tid hos tandlægen. = I need to make an appointment with the dentist.
• Har du bestilt tid? = Have you made an appointment?

Hos often means at, with, or to/with someone as a professional contact, depending on context.

In bestiller hun tid hos lægen, hos lægen means something like:

• with the doctor
• at the doctor’s
• with the doctor’s office

It is very common to use hos with people who provide services or care:

• hos lægen = at the doctor / with the doctor
• hos tandlægen = at the dentist
• hos frisøren = at the hairdresser

So bestille tid hos lægen is the normal way to say book an appointment with the doctor.

Lægen means the doctor, while en læge means a doctor.

In this sentence, lægen is used because it refers to a specific doctor, or to the doctor in the general practical sense, like the doctor she goes to.

• en læge = a doctor
• lægen = the doctor

Danish often uses the definite form in places where English might also use the, especially when the person or role is understood from the situation.

The comma separates the subordinate clause from the main clause:

• Hvis smerten kommer igen, = subordinate clause
• bestiller hun tid hos lægen. = main clause

In Danish, commas are often used to mark clause boundaries clearly, especially after an introductory if-clause like this.

So the comma helps show the structure:

• condition first
• result second

Yes. You could also say:

• Hun bestiller tid hos lægen, hvis smerten kommer igen.

This means the same thing: She books an appointment with the doctor if the pain comes back.

The difference is mainly emphasis:

• Starting with Hvis smerten kommer igen puts focus on the condition.
• Starting with Hun bestiller tid hos lægen puts focus on what she does.

Also notice that when the main clause comes first, the normal word order returns:

• Hun bestiller ... not
• Bestiller hun ...

It can suggest any of these depending on context, but most naturally it sounds like a future action triggered by a condition.

So the idea is:

• If the pain comes back, she’ll make an appointment with the doctor.

Because Danish uses the present tense here, the sentence can feel a little broader than English. It may imply:

• this is her plan,
• this is what she normally does,
• or this is what will happen in that situation.

Usually, context tells you which meaning is intended.