Der ligger altid mindst én legeklods på gulvet i børneværelset.

Here der is the existential der, like English there in there is or there are.

It does not mean a physical location like over there in this sentence. It is just filling the first position in the clause while introducing the existence or presence of something.

So the structure is roughly:

Der + verb + the thing that exists/is located

In this sentence, the real thing being talked about is mindst én legeklods.

Danish very often uses position verbs where English would simply use to be.

Here, ligger is from at ligge, meaning to lie or to be lying. For an object like a toy block on the floor, Danish naturally imagines it as lying there.

So:

• ligger = is lying / is located lying
• står = is standing
• sidder = is sitting / is attached in place
• er = is

You can sometimes say Der er altid mindst én legeklods ..., but Der ligger ... sounds more idiomatic and more concrete for something resting on the floor.

Because Danish main clauses normally follow the V2 rule: the finite verb goes in the second position.

So the sentence is structured like this:

Der | ligger | altid | mindst én legeklods | på gulvet | i børneværelset

• Der = first position
• ligger = finite verb, so it must be second
• altid = adverb, placed after the finite verb

This is very common in Danish word order.

En can be either:

• the indefinite article: a/an
• the number one

When Danish wants to make it clear that it means the number one, it often writes én with an accent.

So here:

• mindst en legeklods could look ambiguous in writing
• mindst én legeklods clearly means at least one toy block

The accent is mainly a clarifying spelling device. It signals emphasis on the numeral.

Because én requires a singular count noun.

So:

• én legeklods = one toy block
• to legeklodser = two toy blocks
• flere legeklodser = several toy blocks

Even though mindst means at least, the word directly after én still stays singular, because the minimum number being stated is one.

Yes. Legeklods is a compound noun, and Danish writes compounds as one word.

It is made from:

• lege- = play / toy-related
• klods = block

So legeklods is literally something like play-block, meaning a toy block or building block.

This is very normal in Danish. English often writes similar ideas as two words, but Danish usually joins them into one.

Because Danish usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun.

So:

• et gulv = a floor
• gulvet = the floor

and:

• et børneværelse = a children's room / a child's room
• børneværelset = the children's room / the child's room

The ending -et is the definite singular ending for many neuter nouns.

So instead of a separate word like English the, Danish often adds the definiteness directly to the noun.

Because in Danish, the definite article is usually attached to the noun.

So English:

• the floor
• the children's room

becomes Danish:

• gulvet
• børneværelset

A separate article like det is mainly used when there is an adjective:

• det store børneværelse = the big children's room

Without an adjective, the suffixed form is the normal choice.

Because the two prepositions express different spatial relationships:

• på gulvet = on the floor
  The floor is treated as a surface.
• i børneværelset = in the children's room
  The room is treated as an enclosed space.

So the toy block is on a surface, and that surface is in a room.

It is another compound noun:

• børne- = child/children-related
• værelse = room

So børneværelse means children's room or child's room.

Notice that Danish does not use an apostrophe like English children's room. Instead, it usually forms a compound noun.

Also, the last part of the compound is the main noun. That is why the whole word behaves like værelse grammatically.

With altid and the present tense, the sentence sounds like a general or habitual statement.

It suggests something like a recurring reality: there is always at least one toy block on the floor in that room.

So it is less about one single snapshot and more about a typical situation.

Yes, but Danish word order will still obey the V2 rule.

For example, you could front a place phrase:

I børneværelset ligger der altid mindst én legeklods på gulvet.

That is still grammatical, because:

• I børneværelset is now in first position
• ligger stays in second position

So Danish allows some flexibility, but the finite verb in a main clause still has to stay in position two.