Mekanikeren siger, at forhjulet ikke fejler noget.

Questions & Answers about Mekanikeren siger, at forhjulet ikke fejler noget.

Why isn’t there a separate word for the before mekanikeren and forhjulet?

In Danish, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun.

  • mekanikermekanikeren = the mechanic
  • hjulhjulet = the wheel

So instead of saying something like the mechanic with a separate word, Danish normally builds the into the noun itself.

You usually only add den or det in front when there is an adjective:

  • mekanikeren = the mechanic
  • den dygtige mekaniker = the skilled mechanic
Why is forhjulet written as one word?

Because Danish normally writes compound nouns as one word.

  • for = front
  • hjul = wheel
  • forhjul = front wheel
  • forhjulet = the front wheel

This is very common in Danish. English often separates these words, but Danish usually joins them.

What does at do in this sentence?

At is a conjunction here, and it introduces a subordinate clause. In this sentence it works like English that:

  • Mekanikeren siger, at ...
  • The mechanic says that ...

In English, that is often optional. In Danish, at is very common and natural in this kind of sentence.

Why is the word order forhjulet ikke fejler instead of forhjulet fejler ikke?

Because after at, Danish uses subordinate clause word order.

In a subordinate clause, words like ikke usually come before the finite verb:

  • at forhjulet ikke fejler noget

If this were a main clause, you would normally say:

  • Forhjulet fejler ikke noget.

So this is a very important pattern:

  • main clause: verb comes early
  • subordinate clause: ikke comes before the finite verb
Is fejle the same as English fail?

Not in this sentence.

Although the words are related historically, Danish fejle often means something like:

  • to be wrong with
  • to suffer from
  • to ail

So:

  • forhjulet fejler noget means there is something wrong with the front wheel
  • forhjulet ikke fejler noget means there is nothing wrong with the front wheel

This verb is often used with people, body parts, machines, and vehicles.

For example:

  • Hvad fejler du? = What’s wrong with you?
  • Hvad fejler bilen? = What’s wrong with the car?
Why is noget used after ikke?

Here noget works like English anything.

So:

  • ikke fejler noget = doesn’t have anything wrong with it

This is a very common Danish pattern: ikke + noget.

Be careful not to replace it with ingenting after ikke.
ikke ingenting would mean not nothing, which gives a different meaning.

What tense are siger and fejler?

They are both in the present tense.

  • sige = to say
  • siger = says / is saying

  • fejle = to be wrong / to ail / to have something wrong
  • fejler = is wrong / has something wrong

The -r ending is the normal present-tense ending for many Danish verbs.

Why is there a comma before at?

Because many Danish writers put a comma before a subordinate clause.

So siger, at ... is very common and fully correct.

You may also see siger at ... without the comma, depending on the comma style being used. Danish allows different comma conventions here, so both versions can occur.

Is this a natural way to say it, or would Danes say it differently?

Yes, it is natural.

A very common alternative would be:

  • Mekanikeren siger, at der ikke er noget galt med forhjulet.

That also means the front wheel is fine.

The difference is mostly stylistic:

  • ikke fejler noget = idiomatic and compact
  • ikke er noget galt med = very transparent and easy to understand

Both are good Danish.

What part of the sentence is the subject of the second clause?

The subject of the subordinate clause is forhjulet.

So the clause breaks down like this:

  • forhjulet = subject
  • ikke = negation
  • fejler = finite verb
  • noget = object

That is useful to notice, because Danish subordinate clauses keep the subject before ikke, but put ikke before the finite verb.

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