Hvis vi skynder os, er der stadig en chance for at nå toget.

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Breakdown of Hvis vi skynder os, er der stadig en chance for at nå toget.

• være: to be
• for: for
• vi: we

Questions & Answers about Hvis vi skynder os, er der stadig en chance for at nå toget.

Why does the sentence start with Hvis?

Hvis means if and introduces a condition.

So Hvis vi skynder os means If we hurry.

This is a very common pattern in Danish:

Hvis + clause, main clause

Example pattern:

• Hvis det regner, bliver vi hjemme = If it rains, we stay home

So in your sentence, the first part sets up the condition, and the second part gives the result.

Why is it skynder os and not just skynder?

Because the Danish verb is at skynde sig, which is a reflexive verb. That means it normally needs a reflexive pronoun.

Here are the forms:

• jeg skynder mig
• du skynder dig
• han/hun skynder sig
• vi skynder os
• I skynder jer
• de skynder sig

So:

• vi skynder os = we hurry

You cannot normally just say vi skynder with this meaning.

Why is the word order er der instead of der er?