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Hvis det begynder at regne, tager vi et regnslag over taskerne.

Hvis det begynder at regne, tager vi et regnslag over taskerne.
If it starts raining, we put a rain cover over the bags.
FromLesson 51inHardcore Danish

Questions & Answers about Hvis det begynder at regne, tager vi et regnslag over taskerne.

Why is it tager vi instead of vi tager after the comma?

Because Danish main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb usually comes in second position.

In this sentence, the whole Hvis det begynder at regne part comes first, so that counts as position 1. Then the verb tager must come next, before the subject vi.

  • Basic word order: Vi tager et regnslag over taskerne.
  • After a fronted clause: Hvis det begynder at regne, tager vi et regnslag over taskerne.

This is very common in Danish.

Why is there a det in det begynder at regne?

Here det is a dummy subject, similar to English it in it is raining.

Weather expressions in Danish often use det:

  • Det regner = It is raining
  • Det sner = It is snowing
  • Det blæser = It is windy / It is blowing

So det begynder at regne literally works like it begins to rain.

What does at do in at regne?

At is the Danish infinitive marker, like English to in to rain.

So:

  • begynder at regne = begins to rain

After many verbs, Danish uses at + infinitive:

  • begynde at spise = begin to eat
  • prøve at forstå = try to understand

So in this sentence, regne is the infinitive, and at introduces it.

Why are the verbs in the present tense if the sentence is about the future?

Danish often uses the present tense to talk about the future when the context already makes the time clear.

So:

  • Hvis det begynder at regne, tager vi ...

means something like:

  • If it starts raining, we’ll put ...

The future meaning comes from the if-clause, not from a special future verb form. This is very natural in Danish, and English does something similar in some cases too.

Why is it et regnslag and not en regnslag?

Because regnslag is a neuter noun in Danish, so it takes et.

Danish nouns are either:

So you have to learn the gender with the noun:

  • et regnslag
  • definite form: regnslaget

There is not always a logical reason for the gender, so this is usually something you memorize.

What exactly does regnslag mean here?

Regnslag is a rain cover, waterproof cover, or sometimes a poncho-like covering, depending on context.

In this sentence, because it says over taskerne, it most likely means a rain cover put over the bags.

It is a compound noun:

  • regn = rain
  • slag = cover/protective layer in this kind of word

So the basic idea is something that protects against rain.

Why is the preposition over used in over taskerne?

Because the idea is to place the rain cover over the bags so that it covers them.

So:

  • tage et regnslag over taskerne = put a rain cover over the bags

Danish often uses over when something is placed on top of something else as a covering.

In English, depending on context, you might say:

  • put a cover over the bags
  • put a cover on the bags

Danish chooses over here to emphasize the covering idea.

Why is it taskerne and not tasker?

Taskerne is the definite plural form: the bags.

  • en taske = a bag
  • tasker = bags
  • taskerne = the bags

The definite form is used because the speaker and listener are talking about specific bags, not just bags in general.

So the sentence means the cover goes over the bags we have with us, not over bags in general.

Why does the sentence use hvis and not når?

Hvis means if, while når usually means when.

  • Hvis det begynder at regne = If it starts raining
  • Når det begynder at regne = When it starts raining

So hvis is used when the rain is a possibility, not a certainty.
If the speaker thinks the rain will definitely happen, når could be more appropriate.

This is an important distinction in Danish.

Is the comma after regne necessary?

Yes, in this kind of sentence you normally put a comma between the subordinate clause and the main clause:

  • Hvis det begynder at regne, tager vi et regnslag over taskerne.

The first part, Hvis det begynder at regne, is a subordinate clause, and the second part is the main clause.

So the comma helps mark that boundary clearly.

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