Breakdown of Den der afdeling lukker tidligere, men jeg kan stadig købe en rulle her.
Questions & Answers about Den der afdeling lukker tidligere, men jeg kan stadig købe en rulle her.
Why does the sentence say den der afdeling? Why are both den and der used?
Den der afdeling means that department/section/branch.
In Danish, a common way to say that + noun is:
- den der
- common-gender noun
- det der
- neuter noun
- de der
- plural noun
So:
- den der afdeling = that department
- det der hus = that house
- de der bøger = those books
Here, den matches the gender of afdeling, and der adds the meaning of that.
This structure is very common in everyday Danish.
Why is it den and not det?
Because afdeling is a common-gender noun in Danish.
Its indefinite form is:
- en afdeling = a department/section
Since it takes en, it also takes den in the definite/demonstrative pattern:
- en afdeling
- den afdeling
- den der afdeling
If it were a neuter noun with et, then you would use det instead.
What exactly does afdeling mean here?
Afdeling usually means department, section, or branch, depending on context.
Possible translations include:
- department
- section
- branch
- sometimes division
So den der afdeling could mean something like:
- that department
- that section
- that branch
The exact English word depends on the situation.
What does lukker mean, and why does it end in -r?
Lukker is the present tense of lukke (to close).
So:
- at lukke = to close
- lukker = closes / is closing
In Danish, present tense verbs usually end in -r:
- jeg køber = I buy / am buying
- han arbejder = he works / is working
- afdelingen lukker = the department closes / is closing
So Den der afdeling lukker tidligere means That department closes earlier.
What does tidligere mean here?
Here tidligere means earlier.
It is the comparative form related to tidlig (early):
- tidlig = early
- tidligere = earlier
In this sentence, it does not need an explicit than phrase. Danish often leaves the comparison understood from context.
So lukker tidligere means:
- closes earlier
- implicitly: earlier than usual or earlier than something/somewhere else
Why is there no word for than after tidligere?
Because the comparison is implied rather than spelled out.
Danish, like English, can do this:
- Vi går tidligere. = We’re leaving earlier.
- But earlier than what? The context tells you.
If you wanted to state the comparison directly, Danish would use end:
- Den afdeling lukker tidligere end den anden.
- That department closes earlier than the other one.
In your sentence, the speaker just says earlier, without stating the full comparison.
Why is the word order jeg kan stadig købe?
This is normal Danish main-clause word order.
The finite verb comes early, and adverbs like stadig usually come after the finite verb and before the infinitive/main verb:
- jeg kan stadig købe
- literally: I can still buy
Breakdown:
- jeg = subject
- kan = finite verb
- stadig = adverb
- købe = infinitive/main verb
This placement is very common with modal verbs:
- jeg vil gerne spise
- hun kan ikke komme
- vi skal stadig vente
Why is it købe and not køber after kan?
Because after a modal verb like kan (can), Danish uses the infinitive of the main verb.
So:
- kan købe = can buy
- vil købe = will/wants to buy
- skal købe = must/is going to buy
Not:
- kan køber ❌
This is similar to English:
- I can buy ✅
- I can buys ❌
So jeg kan stadig købe is exactly the expected structure.
What does stadig mean here? Is it the same as still in English?
Yes. Here stadig means still.
So:
- jeg kan stadig købe en rulle her
- I can still buy a roll here
It shows that something remains possible despite the first part of the sentence:
- That department closes earlier, but I can still buy a roll here.
So stadig connects nicely with the contrast introduced by men.
What does en rulle mean, and why is it en?
En rulle means a roll.
Like afdeling, rulle is a common-gender noun, so its indefinite article is en:
- en rulle = a roll
- rullen = the roll
Depending on context, rulle could refer to different kinds of rolls, such as a roll of paper, tape, film, etc. The exact meaning depends on what has already been established.
What is the function of her at the end?
Her means here.
So:
- jeg kan stadig købe en rulle her
- I can still buy a roll here
Putting her at the end is very natural in Danish. It tells you the place where the action is possible.
Danish often puts short place words like this late in the sentence:
- Jeg bor her. = I live here.
- Vi spiser der. = We eat there.
- Hun arbejder hjemme. = She works at home.
Could the sentence use denne afdeling instead of den der afdeling?
Yes, but it would sound a bit different.
- den der afdeling = that department
Very common in everyday speech; often points out a specific one. - denne afdeling = this department
More formal or written-sounding, and it means this, not that.
If you wanted a more formal version of that department, Danish might use a different structure depending on context, but in ordinary speech den der afdeling is very natural.
So den der is the best match for everyday that here.
Why is there a comma before men?
Because men means but, and here it joins two main clauses:
- Den der afdeling lukker tidligere
- jeg kan stadig købe en rulle her
A comma before men is standard in writing:
- ..., men ... = ..., but ...
So the comma helps separate the two parts of the sentence clearly.
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