Breakdown of Efter badet går barnet ind i børneværelset med sin bamse.
gå
to go
med
with
efter
after
barnet
the child
Questions & Answers about Efter badet går barnet ind i børneværelset med sin bamse.
Why does the sentence start with Efter badet instead of putting the subject first?
Danish often puts a time expression first, just like English can do with After the bath, ....
When a non-subject comes first in a Danish main clause, the finite verb still has to stay in second position. That is why you get:
- Efter badet = first slot
- går = second slot
- barnet = after the verb
So Danish word order here follows the common V2 rule: the verb comes second in main clauses.
Why is it går barnet and not barnet går after Efter badet?
Because Danish main clauses use verb-second word order.
If the sentence began with the subject, you would say:
- Barnet går ind i børneværelset med sin bamse.
But when Efter badet is moved to the front, the verb must come right after it:
- Efter badet går barnet ind i børneværelset med sin bamse.
So the subject moves after the verb. This is completely normal in Danish.
Why is it badet and not just bad?