Breakdown of Butikken lover at levere bordet på tirsdag, hvis det stadig er på lager.
Questions & Answers about Butikken lover at levere bordet på tirsdag, hvis det stadig er på lager.
Why is it butikken and not just butik?
Butikken means the shop/store. In Danish, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like English the.
- en butik = a shop
- butikken = the shop
So Butikken lover ... means The shop promises ...
Why does love mean promise here? Doesn't it look like English love?
Yes, this is a very common false friend.
In Danish, at love means to promise, not to love.
- Jeg lover det. = I promise it.
- Jeg elsker dig. = I love you.
So Butikken lover at levere ... means The shop promises to deliver ...
Why is it at levere after lover?
After lover in this sentence, Danish uses the infinitive with at, just like English often uses to + verb.
- lover at levere = promises to deliver
Here:
- lover = present tense, promises
- at levere = infinitive, to deliver
So the structure is:
- Butikken lover at levere bordet ...
- The shop promises to deliver the table ...
Why is it bordet and not bord?
Because bordet means the table.
Danish marks definiteness by adding the article to the end of the noun:
- et bord = a table
- bordet = the table
Since the sentence is talking about a specific table, Danish uses bordet.
Why is it på tirsdag? Why not something like i tirsdag or om tirsdag?
In Danish, days of the week are commonly used with på when you mean on a specific day:
- på mandag = on Monday
- på tirsdag = on Tuesday
So levere bordet på tirsdag means deliver the table on Tuesday.
A useful note:
- på tirsdag usually means this coming Tuesday / Tuesday
- om tirsdagen means on Tuesdays or on Tuesday(s) in general, which is different
What does hvis mean, and why is it used here?
Hvis means if in the sense of a condition.
- hvis det stadig er på lager = if it is still in stock
This is a normal conditional clause: the shop promises delivery if the item is still available.
Learners sometimes confuse hvis with om. In many cases:
- hvis = if for conditions
- om = whether / if in indirect questions
Examples:
- Jeg kommer, hvis jeg har tid. = I’ll come if I have time.
- Jeg ved ikke, om jeg har tid. = I don’t know whether I have time.
What does det refer to in hvis det stadig er på lager?
Here det refers to the table — or more naturally, to the item being talked about.
Since bord is a neuter noun (et bord), the pronoun used for it is det.
- et bord → det
So:
- bordet = the table
- hvis det stadig er på lager = if it is still in stock
Even though English often says it, Danish also uses det here for a neuter noun.
Why is the word order det stadig er and not det er stadig?
Because this is a subordinate clause introduced by hvis.
In Danish main clauses, the finite verb usually comes early, often in second position:
- Det er stadig på lager. = It is still in stock.
But in subordinate clauses, adverbs like stadig usually come before the finite verb:
- hvis det stadig er på lager
So the pattern is:
- Main clause: Det er stadig på lager
- Subordinate clause: hvis det stadig er på lager
This difference in word order is one of the most important parts of Danish grammar.
What does stadig mean here?
Stadig means still.
So:
- det stadig er på lager = it is still in stock
It shows that the item may no longer be available later, but at the relevant time it might still be available.
You may also hear stadigvæk, which is a more colloquial or emphatic form of stadig:
- det stadigvæk er på lager = it is still in stock
Both are understandable, but stadig is the neutral form.
What does på lager mean literally and grammatically?
På lager is a fixed Danish expression meaning in stock.
Literally, lager is related to storage/warehouse/stock, and the whole phrase means that the item is available from inventory.
So:
- er på lager = is in stock
- ikke på lager = not in stock / out of stock
The preposition på is just the standard one used in this expression. It is best learned as a set phrase:
- at være på lager = to be in stock
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