Word Order In Subordinate Clauses

Level 2

Danish uses a special word order for subordinate clauses. Unlike main clauses where the verb comes second (V2), subordinate clauses place sentence adverbs (like ikke, altid, aldrig) before the verb.

How It Works

In Danish, the position of the verb changes depending on whether you are making a direct statement (main clause) or providing dependent information (subordinate clause).

1. Main Clause (V2 Order):
In a standard sentence, the verb is the second element, and adverbs like ikke follow the verb.
Example: Jeg spiser ikke kød. (I eat not meat).

2. Subordinate Clause (S-A-V Order):
When a clause starts with a conjunction like fordi or at, the sentence adverb 'flips' to stand before the verb.
Example: ...fordi jeg ikke spiser kød. (...because I not eat meat).

Which adverbs move?
Only 'sentence adverbs' that modify the whole statement move before the verb. These include:

  • Negation: ikke (not), aldrig (never)
  • Frequency: altid (always), ofte (often)
  • Probability: måske (maybe), sikkert (certainly)

Note on Punctuation:
In Danish, it is standard to place a comma before the subordinating conjunction that starts the clause.

Examples (4)

  1. Jeg ved, at han ikke har tid i dag.

    I know that he doesn't have time today.

    Word by Word: I know, that he not has time today.

    The conjunction 'at' triggers the subordinate order, so 'ikke' comes before 'har'.

  2. Hvis du altid kommer for sent, bliver chefen sur.

    If you always arrive late, the boss will get angry.

    Word by Word: If you always come too late, becomes the boss angry.

    In the 'hvis' clause, the adverb 'altid' must come before the verb 'kommer'.

  3. Hun spurgte, om vi måske ville med i biografen.

    She asked if we perhaps wanted to go to the cinema.

    Word by Word: She asked, if we maybe would with in the-cinema.

    The word 'om' (if/whether) starts a subordinate clause, placing 'måske' before 'ville'.

  4. Jeg er glad, fordi det ikke regner nu.

    I am happy because it isn't raining now.

    Word by Word: I am happy, because it not rains now.

    The conjunction 'fordi' forces 'ikke' to appear before the verb 'regner'.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing 'ikke' after the verb in a subordinate clause.

    Jeg tror, at han kommer ikke.
    Jeg tror, at han ikke kommer.

    Learners often use the main clause V2 order by mistake. In a subordinate clause starting with 'at', 'ikke' must come before the verb.

  • Forgetting to invert the main clause when a subordinate clause comes first.

    Hvis det regner, jeg bliver hjemme.
    Hvis det regner, bliver jeg hjemme.

    When a subordinate clause starts the sentence, it counts as 'position 1'. The main clause verb must then come immediately in 'position 2'.

How It Connects

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Word Order In Subordinate ClausesLevel 2

Learn This First

To learn word order in subordinate clauses, you first need to understand the standard V2 rule for main clauses and how negation (ikke) normally functions. You also need to be familiar with the conjunctions that introduce these clauses, as they signal the shift in word order where adverbs move before the verb.

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