Breakdown of Balancen bliver bedre, efterhånden som hun træner mere regelmæssigt.
Questions & Answers about Balancen bliver bedre, efterhånden som hun træner mere regelmæssigt.
Why is it balancen and not just balance?
Balancen is the definite form of balance, so it means the balance.
In Danish, body-related nouns and personal qualities are often expressed with the definite form where English might prefer a possessive:
- Balancen bliver bedre = The balance is getting better
- In natural English, we would usually say Her balance is getting better
So Danish is not always as possessive-heavy as English. From context, balancen is understood to mean her balance.
What does bliver mean here?
Bliver is the present tense of blive, which often means become or get.
So:
- balancen bliver bedre = the balance becomes better
- more natural English: the balance gets better
This is a very common use of blive for a change of state.
Why does Danish use bliver bedre instead of er bedre?
Because bliver bedre emphasizes change over time.
- bliver bedre = is getting better / becomes better
- er bedre = is better
So the sentence is talking about improvement happening gradually, not just stating a current condition.
Compare:
- Balancen er bedre nu. = The balance is better now.
- Balancen bliver bedre. = The balance is getting better.
What does efterhånden som mean?
Efterhånden som is a fixed expression meaning something like:
- as
- as gradually
- the more ... the more
- as time goes on and...
In this sentence, it links two developments happening together:
- her balance improves
- she trains more regularly
So efterhånden som hun træner mere regelmæssigt means as she trains more regularly or as she gradually trains more regularly.
Why is there both efterhånden and som? Could you just say one of them?
In this sentence, efterhånden som works as a set phrase. You normally use both parts together.
- efterhånden by itself often means gradually, eventually, or little by little
- som introduces the clause
So:
- efterhånden alone = an adverb
- efterhånden som = a conjunction meaning as / as gradually
You should learn efterhånden som as one chunk.
Why is it træner?
Træner is the present tense of træne = to train / exercise / practise.
The subject is hun = she, so:
- hun træner = she trains / she is training
Danish present tense is simple: you usually add -r to the infinitive.
- at træne = to train
- hun træner = she trains
Unlike English, Danish does not need a separate form like is training here.
Why is it mere regelmæssigt and not mere regelmæssig?
Because regelmæssigt is an adverb here, not an adjective.
It describes how she trains:
- hun træner regelmæssigt = she trains regularly
Adverbs in Danish often have a -t form:
- regelmæssig = regular (adjective)
- regelmæssigt = regularly / in a regular way (adverb)
And because it is being compared, you get:
- mere regelmæssigt = more regularly
So:
- regelmæssig træning = regular training
- hun træner regelmæssigt = she trains regularly
Why is it mere regelmæssigt instead of a single word meaning more regularly?
Many Danish adjectives and adverbs form the comparative with mere = more, especially longer words.
So:
- regelmæssigt = regularly
- mere regelmæssigt = more regularly
This is similar to English:
- fast → faster
- but regularly → more regularly
Danish also has one-word comparatives for many common adjectives, but with longer forms, mere is very normal.
Why is bedre used? Is it irregular?
Yes. Bedre is the comparative form meaning better, and it is irregular.
The pattern is:
- god = good
- bedre = better
- bedst = best
Even though the noun is balancen, Danish uses bedre here because that is the normal comparative form meaning better.
Why is there a comma in the sentence?
The comma separates the main clause from the subordinate clause.
- Main clause: Balancen bliver bedre
- Subordinate clause: efterhånden som hun træner mere regelmæssigt
Danish comma rules often place a comma before subordinate clauses like this. So the comma helps show the structure of the sentence.
Is the word order in som hun træner mere regelmæssigt normal?
Yes, it is normal subordinate-clause word order.
Inside that clause, you have:
- hun = subject
- træner = verb
- mere regelmæssigt = adverbial phrase
So the order is straightforward:
- som hun træner mere regelmæssigt
- as she trains more regularly
Nothing unusual is happening there; it follows the expected Danish pattern for a clause introduced by som.
Could this sentence also be translated as The more regularly she trains, the better her balance gets?
Yes, that is a very natural English rendering.
The Danish sentence literally presents the balance improving as she trains more regularly, but in English, a the more ..., the ... structure often captures the same idea very well:
- Balancen bliver bedre, efterhånden som hun træner mere regelmæssigt.
- The more regularly she trains, the better her balance gets.
That is not a word-for-word translation, but it matches the sense nicely.
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