Når jeg tygger, bløder jeg fra tandkødet, så jeg skyller munden.

When I chew, my gums bleed, so I rinse my mouth.

Breakdown of Når jeg tygger, bløder jeg fra tandkødet, så jeg skyller munden.

• jeg: I
• når: when
• så: so
• skylle munden: to rinse the mouth

Questions & Answers about Når jeg tygger, bløder jeg fra tandkødet, så jeg skyller munden.

Why does the sentence start with Når jeg tygger?

Når means when. It introduces a time clause, so Når jeg tygger means when I chew.

In Danish, når is commonly used for:

• something that happens repeatedly or generally
• something expected in the future

So here it gives a general situation: whenever I chew, this happens.

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Why is it bløder jeg and not jeg bløder after the comma?

This is because of normal Danish word order.

The first part, Når jeg tygger, is a subordinate clause. After a subordinate clause comes the main clause, and in a Danish main clause the finite verb usually comes in second position.

So:

• Når jeg tygger, bløder jeg fra tandkødet
• literally: When I chew, bleed I from the gums

This is a very important Danish pattern:

• Når jeg kommer, spiser vi
• If it rains, bliver jeg hjemme

If the main clause came first, it would be:

• Jeg bløder fra tandkødet, når jeg tygger

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What does tygger mean, and what is its base form?