Advanced Conjunctions in Danish

In Brief

Selvom, medmindre, and inden introduce subordinate clauses, where a sentence adverb such as ikke normally comes before the finite verb: selvom jeg ikke kommer. Enten...eller and hverken...eller are paired conjunctions used to present alternatives: “either...or” and “neither...nor.” If a subordinate clause comes first, the following main clause uses inversion: Selvom det regnede, gik vi ud.

Overview

Conjunctions connect words, phrases, or whole clauses. At B1, Danish learners move beyond basic connectors such as og (“and”), men (“but”), and fordi (“because”) and begin to express concession, conditions, alternatives, and deadlines more precisely. The five patterns in this article are selvom (“although/even though”), medmindre (“unless”), enten...eller (“either...or”), hverken...eller (“neither...nor”), and inden (“before”).

These expressions do not all belong to exactly the same grammatical group. A subordinating conjunction introduces a clause that depends on another clause; selvom, medmindre, and inden work this way. A paired or correlative conjunction has two matching parts; enten...eller and hverken...eller connect alternatives of equal grammatical status. This distinction matters because subordinate clauses have their own word-order pattern, whereas paired conjunctions mainly require the two alternatives to be parallel.

For an English-speaking learner, the meanings are mostly familiar. The major new challenge is visible word order. English says both “although I am not coming” and “I am not coming” with the negative after the verb. Danish distinguishes the two: jeg kommer ikke in a main clause, but selvom jeg ikke kommer in a subordinate clause.

How It Works

The core word-order rule

The finite verb (the verb marked for tense, such as kommer, kom, har, or kan) changes its position relative to sentence adverbs such as ikke (“not”), aldrig (“never”), and ofte (“often”).

Clause type	Basic pattern	Danish example
Main clause	subject + finite verb + sentence adverb	Jeg kommer ikke.
Subordinate clause	conjunction + subject + sentence adverb + finite verb	selvom jeg ikke kommer
Initial subordinate clause + main clause	subordinate clause, finite verb + subject...	Selvom jeg ikke kommer, fortsætter mødet.

In a compound verb form, the sentence adverb comes before the finite auxiliary verb (a helping verb such as har), while the participle remains later:

• Hun har ikke læst beskeden. — “She has not read the message.”
• selvom hun ikke har læst beskeden — “although she has not read the message”

When the subordinate clause occupies the first position in the sentence, the following main clause must still obey the Danish V2 rule: the finite verb is the second major element. The entire subordinate clause counts as the first element, so the verb comes before the subject:

• Selvom hun ikke har læst beskeden, forstår hun problemet.
• Literally by slots: “[Although-clause] + understands + she + the problem.”

Selvom: although, even though

Selvom introduces a concession: one fact might normally lead you to expect a different result, but it does not prevent the result in the main clause.

• Selvom det regnede, gik vi ud. — “Although it was raining, we went out.”
• Jeg køber den, selvom den er dyr. — “I’ll buy it even though it is expensive.”

The clause with selvom can come first or second. If it comes first, remember inversion in the main clause: gik vi, not vi gik. The spelling selv om is also encountered, but selvom is the straightforward conjunction form to learn and use here.

Do not automatically add Danish men after an initial selvom clause. English does not normally use “although...but” either. Danish instead often reinforces the unexpected result with alligevel (“nevertheless/still”):

• Selvom jeg var træt, tog jeg alligevel med. — “Although I was tired, I still went along.”

Medmindre: unless

Medmindre introduces the one condition that can prevent or change the main result. A useful meaning test is hvis...ikke (“if...not”):

• Vi spiser ude, medmindre restauranten er lukket.
• Vi spiser ude, hvis restauranten ikke er lukket.

These are close in meaning, although the focus is slightly different. Medmindre packages the exception into one word. Because the negative meaning is already built into “unless,” the subordinate clause normally does not need ikke:

• Jeg ringer i morgen, medmindre du ringer først. — “I’ll call tomorrow unless you call first.”

A negative can still appear when the intended logic genuinely requires it. For example, Du består, medmindre du ikke afleverer opgaven means “You will pass unless you fail to submit the assignment.” Such sentences can be hard to process, so rewriting them is often clearer.

Enten...eller: either...or

Enten...eller presents two alternatives. The two parts should introduce matching structures: two nouns, two verb phrases, two adjectives, or two complete clauses.

What is linked	Pattern	Example
Nouns	enten + noun + eller + noun	enten te eller kaffe
Verb phrases	enten + verb phrase + eller + verb phrase	enten betale nu eller få en regning
Adjectives	enten + adjective + eller + adjective	enten rød eller blå
Complete clauses	enten + main clause, eller + main clause	Enten kommer du, eller du bliver hjemme.

Place enten as close as possible to the first alternative. Compare:

• Du kan enten betale nu eller få en regning. — the alternatives are two actions.
• Enten kan du betale nu, eller også kan du få en regning. — the alternatives are presented as two complete clauses.

When enten opens a complete main clause, the finite verb follows it: Enten kommer du... The second half may use simply eller, or the common reinforced pattern eller også.

Hverken...eller: neither...nor

Hverken...eller rejects both alternatives. Danish uses eller in the second half, not a separate word corresponding to English “nor.”

• Jeg drikker hverken kaffe eller te. — “I drink neither coffee nor tea.”
• Hun har hverken ringet eller skrevet. — “She has neither called nor written.”
• Hverken Maja eller Jonas har tid. — “Neither Maja nor Jonas has time.”

The pair already makes the statement negative. Do not normally add ikke: Jeg drikker ikke hverken kaffe eller te is not the neutral way to say “I drink neither coffee nor tea.”

As with enten...eller, keep the alternatives grammatically parallel. If the first half is a noun phrase, the second should normally be a noun phrase too; if the first is a participle, match it with another participle.

Inden: before

Inden can introduce a time clause meaning “before”:

• Inden du går, skal du spise. — “Before you leave, you should eat.”
• Sluk lyset, inden du går i seng. — “Turn off the light before you go to bed.”

The verb in a future time clause is normally in the present tense: inden du går, not a special future form. Do not insert the infinitive marker at before a complete clause: inden du går, not inden at du går.

Inden can also stand before a noun or time expression, where it functions more like a preposition:

• Svar inden fredag. — “Reply by/before Friday.”
• Vi skal være færdige inden klokken fem. — “We must be finished by five o’clock.”

Før can also mean “before” and overlaps considerably with inden. In everyday Danish, før is very common for saying that one event happens earlier than another. Inden is especially natural when the later point acts as a limit or deadline, but this is a tendency rather than a rigid division.

Examples in Context

Danish	English	Note
Selvom det regnede, gik vi ud.	Although it rained, we went out.	Initial subordinate clause; gik vi shows main-clause inversion.
Jeg tager på arbejde, selvom jeg ikke føler mig rask.	I’m going to work even though I don’t feel well.	Ikke comes before føler in the subordinate clause.
Selvom hun aldrig har boet i Danmark, taler hun flydende dansk.	Although she has never lived in Denmark, she speaks Danish fluently.	Aldrig comes before the finite auxiliary har.
Vi tager på stranden, medmindre det regner.	We’re going to the beach unless it rains.	The rain is the exception to the plan.
Medmindre du betaler, kan du ikke gå.	Unless you pay, you can’t leave.	The initial subordinate clause is followed by kan du.
Jeg laver aftensmad, medmindre du hellere vil bestille noget.	I’ll make dinner unless you would rather order something.	No extra ikke is needed.
Du kan enten ringe eller sende en besked.	You can either call or send a message.	Two parallel infinitives.
Enten kommer du, eller du bliver hjemme.	Either you come, or you stay home.	Two complete alternatives.
Enten mødes vi på stationen, eller også tager vi en taxa.	Either we meet at the station, or we take a taxi.	Eller også reinforces the second alternative.
Jeg spiser hverken kød eller fisk.	I eat neither meat nor fish.	Two noun phrases; no ikke.
Han har hverken svaret eller åbnet beskeden.	He has neither replied nor opened the message.	Two parallel participles after har.
Hverken bussen eller toget kører i nat.	Neither the bus nor the train is running tonight.	The pair links two subjects.
Inden du går, skal du spise.	Before you leave, you should eat.	Time clause first; skal du shows inversion.
Ring til mig, inden mødet begynder.	Call me before the meeting begins.	Inden introduces a later event.
Ansøgningen skal sendes inden den 1. september.	The application must be submitted by September 1.	Inden introduces a deadline expression, not a clause.

Common Mistakes

Keeping main-clause word order after a sentence adverb

• Wrong: Selvom jeg har ikke tid, kommer jeg.
• Right: Selvom jeg ikke har tid, kommer jeg.
• Why: In a subordinate clause, ikke comes before the finite verb har.

Forgetting inversion after an initial subordinate clause

• Wrong: Selvom det regnede, vi gik ud.
• Right: Selvom det regnede, gik vi ud.
• Why: The subordinate clause fills the first position. The finite verb of the main clause must therefore come before its subject.

Adding an unnecessary negative after medmindre

• Wrong for the intended meaning: Vi går en tur, medmindre det ikke regner.
• Right: Vi går en tur, medmindre det regner.
• Why: Medmindre already means “unless.” Adding ikke reverses the condition and suggests that you will walk unless it does not rain.

Mixing the two paired conjunctions

• Wrong: enten te og kaffe; hverken te og kaffe
• Right: enten te eller kaffe; hverken te eller kaffe
• Why: Both Danish pairs use eller for the second alternative.

Adding ikke to hverken...eller

• Wrong in a neutral statement: Jeg kan ikke lide hverken kaffe eller te.
• Right: Jeg kan hverken lide kaffe eller te.
• Why: Hverken...eller already rejects both alternatives. The pair should be integrated into the clause without an extra general negation.

Using at after inden

• Wrong: Inden at du går, skal vi tale sammen.
• Right: Inden du går, skal vi tale sammen.
• Why: Inden directly introduces the finite subordinate clause; it does not take the infinitive marker at here.

Usage Notes

Danish has two accepted approaches to commas before subordinate clauses. Writers who use the start comma place a comma before a subordinate clause; writers who omit the start comma usually do not. This means that both Jeg kommer, selvom jeg er træt and Jeg kommer selvom jeg er træt may be encountered. A comma is used after a subordinate clause placed at the beginning: Selvom jeg er træt, kommer jeg. Follow one comma system consistently rather than treating the comma as part of the conjunction itself.

In speech, selvom and medmindre are common and neutral. Medmindre can sound more compact and exact than a longer hvis...ikke clause, which also makes it useful in instructions, agreements, and rules: Tilbuddet gælder, medmindre andet er aftalt (“The offer applies unless otherwise agreed”).

For alternatives, everyday Danish often omits enten when the choice is already obvious: Vil du have te eller kaffe? Adding enten makes the two-way structure more explicit or contrastive. Likewise, hverken...eller is often more concise and balanced than repeating two separate negatives.

With inden and før, do not expect a perfect one-to-one rule based on English “before.” If you are describing a deadline, inden fredag is a strong default. If you are simply comparing the order of two events, both words may be possible, and før is often the less marked everyday choice.

Beyond the Basics

Real fact or hypothetical possibility: selvom and selv hvis

Use selvom when presenting a fact or accepted situation that fails to prevent the result: Selvom det regner, går vi ud (“Although it is raining, we are going out”). Use selv hvis for a hypothetical condition meaning “even if”: Selv hvis det regner i morgen, går vi ud (“Even if it rains tomorrow, we are going out”). In spontaneous speech the boundary is not always perfectly sharp, but this contrast is useful in careful writing.

Reinforcing the result with alligevel

A selvom clause can be paired with alligevel in the main clause. This is not a redundant error; alligevel emphasizes that the result still happened:

• Selvom billetterne var dyre, købte vi dem alligevel. — “Although the tickets were expensive, we bought them anyway.”

Its position follows main-clause rules: after the finite verb in a neutral subject-first clause (vi købte dem alligevel) or later in an inverted clause (købte vi dem alligevel).

Ellipsis and formal compactness

In established phrases, material understood from context can be left out. Medmindre andet er aftalt literally has “unless otherwise is agreed,” with the relevant arrangement understood. Similar compact phrases are common in formal notices and terms: medmindre andet fremgår (“unless otherwise stated/apparent”). Recognize these as shortened subordinate clauses rather than as a new word-order rule.

Parallelism affects meaning

The position of enten or hverken signals the scope of the choice or negation. Compare Du kan enten låne bilen eller cyklen (“You can borrow either the car or the bicycle”) with Du kan enten låne bilen eller tage bussen (“You can either borrow the car or take the bus”). Keeping the paired elements parallel makes the intended alternatives immediately clear and prevents the reader from having to reinterpret the sentence halfway through.

Practice Tips

1. Transform main clauses into subordinate clauses. Start with Jeg kommer ikke and add each relevant conjunction: selvom jeg ikke kommer, medmindre jeg kommer, inden jeg kommer. Watch the position of ikke rather than translating word by word from English.
2. Build matched pairs. Write five choices with enten...eller, then turn them into double negatives with hverken...eller: enten kaffe eller te → hverken kaffe eller te. Expand some pairs into complete sentences.
3. Practice the clause-first pattern aloud. Use a short beginning such as Selvom jeg er træt..., Medmindre det regner..., or Inden du går... and immediately follow it with verb–subject order: tager jeg med, cykler vi, skal du ringe.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Subordinate Clauses — review subordinate-clause adverb placement and the difference between main and subordinate word order.