Breakdown of Hvis den ene pedal sidder løst, tager jeg cyklen til værkstedet.
jeg
I
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to
tage
to take
hvis
if
Questions & Answers about Hvis den ene pedal sidder løst, tager jeg cyklen til værkstedet.
Why does the sentence start with hvis?
Hvis means if and introduces a condition.
In this sentence, Hvis den ene pedal sidder løst sets up the situation under which the speaker will do something. It works just like English if in conditional sentences.
A useful contrast:
- hvis = if
- om = whether / if
So here hvis is correct because this is a condition, not an indirect yes/no question.
What does den ene pedal mean exactly?
Den ene pedal literally means the one pedal, but in natural English it is usually understood as one of the pedals or one of the two pedals.
It suggests there are two pedals, and one particular one is loose.
Why not just en pedal?
- en pedal = a pedal, more indefinite
- den ene pedal = the one pedal / one of the two, more specific
This expression is common when talking about one of a pair:
- den ene sko = one of the shoes
- det ene hjul = one of the wheels
Why is it sidder løst instead of er løs?