En cyklist ventede ved lyskrydset, fordi en fodgænger gik over vejen.

Because cyklist and fodgænger are common-gender nouns in Danish. The indefinite article for common-gender nouns is en.

• en cyklist = a cyclist
• en fodgænger = a pedestrian

If a noun were neuter, it would use et instead.

Both are in the past tense.

• venter = waits / is waiting

• ventede = waited / was waiting

• går = goes / is going
• gik = went / was going

So the sentence describes something that happened in the past.

Also notice that Danish often uses the simple past where English might use either waited or was waiting, depending on context.

Ved often means at, by, or near a place.

So ved lyskrydset means the cyclist was at / by the traffic intersection, not literally inside it.

Using i would usually suggest being in something, which is less natural here.

That -et is the definite ending for a neuter singular noun.

The base noun is:

• et lyskryds = a traffic intersection / crossroads with traffic lights

The definite form is:

• lyskrydset = the traffic intersection

So Danish often adds the definite article as an ending instead of using a separate word like English the.

It is a compound noun, which is very common in Danish.

It is made from:

• lys = light
• kryds = crossing / intersection

Together, lyskryds refers to a road crossing controlled by lights, so traffic-light intersection or simply intersection in this context.

Danish forms many nouns this way, by joining smaller words into one larger word.

Because fordi introduces a subordinate clause: a clause that gives the reason.

Main clause:

• En cyklist ventede ved lyskrydset

Subordinate clause:

• fordi en fodgænger gik over vejen

In standard written Danish, it is normal to separate these with a comma.

Because fordi starts a subordinate clause, and subordinate clauses usually keep the normal subject-before-verb order.

So you get:

• fordi en fodgænger gik over vejen

not:

• fordi gik en fodgænger over vejen

This is different from Danish main-clause word order, where the verb often comes second.

Here over means across, and vejen is the definite form of vej.

• en vej = a road
• vejen = the road

So:

• gik over vejen = walked across the road

This is a very common expression in Danish.

Because the sentence introduces a cyclist and a pedestrian as participants, so they are indefinite:

• en cyklist
• en fodgænger

But vejen is presented as a specific road in the situation, so Danish uses the definite form:

• vejen = the road

This is similar to how English might say a cyclist ... a pedestrian ... the road.

Yes. Both are possible, but they are slightly different in style.

• gik over vejen = walked across the road
• krydsede vejen = crossed the road

Gik over vejen is very natural and everyday.
Krydsede vejen is also correct, but can sound a little more formal or more directly focused on the act of crossing.

Approximate English-friendly pronunciations:

• cyklist ≈ soo-KLEEST
• lyskrydset ≈ loos-KRYS-set
• fodgænger ≈ FOHT-gen-ger

A few helpful notes:

• Danish y is not like English y. It is a rounded front vowel, a bit unusual for English speakers.
• ø in words like fodgænger does not appear here, but æ does: gæn- has a vowel somewhat like the a in cat, though not exactly.
• The soft Danish d in fodgænger is often much softer than English d.

These spellings are only rough guides, but they can help you get started.

Yes. Danish allows you to move elements to the front for emphasis or style.

For example:

• Ved lyskrydset ventede en cyklist, fordi en fodgænger gik over vejen.

This is still correct, but now ved lyskrydset is in the first position. In a Danish main clause, when something other than the subject comes first, the finite verb still stays in second position, so you get:

• Ved lyskrydset ventede en cyklist

not:

• Ved lyskrydset en cyklist ventede

It is the most common and direct translation of because in a sentence like this.

• fordi = because

Danish also has other ways to express cause, such as da in some contexts, but fordi is the straightforward choice when giving a reason:

• The cyclist waited because a pedestrian was crossing the road.

So in this sentence, fordi is exactly what you would expect.