When asking a question that seeks a reason or explanation, you use hvorfor. It's a direct way to inquire about the cause or purpose of something. For example, if someone says "I'm tired," you could ask "Hvorfor?" to find out the reason.
You can also use hvorfor in indirect questions or statements. For instance, "Jeg forstår ikke, hvorfor han gjorde det" means "I don't understand why he did that." It helps connect a main clause to a subordinate clause that provides a reason.
When asking a question about the reason for something, use hvorfor. It is generally placed at the beginning of the question. For example, if you want to know the reason for a specific action, you can say "Hvorfor gør du det?" (Why are you doing that?).
§ How to use 'hvorfor'
'Hvorfor' is an adverb, and it always means 'why'. It's pretty straightforward, which is good news! You use it to ask questions about reasons or causes. It’s like asking 'for what reason?' or 'what's the cause?'.
In Danish, just like in English, 'hvorfor' usually goes at the beginning of a question. The word order after 'hvorfor' is typically verb first, then the subject. This is a common structure for questions in Danish.
Hvorfor spiser du ikke?
- Translation hint
- Why are you not eating?
Hvorfor er han ked af det?
- Translation hint
- Why is he sad?
§ 'Hvorfor' in statements
You can also use 'hvorfor' in statements, not just questions. When it's part of a subordinate clause, it still means 'why', but the word order changes a bit. In subordinate clauses, the verb usually comes after the subject. This is a common Danish grammar point that you'll see a lot.
Jeg ved ikke, hvorfor han græder.
- Translation hint
- I don't know why he is crying.
In this example, 'han græder' (he cries) is the subject followed by the verb, which is typical for subordinate clauses in Danish.
Hun spurgte, hvorfor jeg var sen.
- Translation hint
- She asked why I was late.
§ Common phrases with 'hvorfor'
You'll often hear 'hvorfor' in everyday conversations. Here are a few common ways you might use or hear it:
**Hvorfor ikke?** (Why not?)
Skal vi gå en tur? Ja, hvorfor ikke?
- Translation hint
- Shall we go for a walk? Yes, why not?
**Derfor** (Therefore/That's why)
While not 'hvorfor' itself, 'derfor' is the answer to 'hvorfor'. It's important to know them together.
Jeg var syg, derfor kom jeg ikke.
- Translation hint
- I was sick, therefore/that's why I didn't come.
You won't typically use prepositions directly with 'hvorfor' because 'hvorfor' itself functions as a question word asking about the reason. It's not something you attach prepositions to. The 'for' in 'hvorfor' already handles the 'for what' idea.
Keep practicing asking and answering 'hvorfor' questions, and you'll get the hang of it quickly. It's a very useful word for everyday Danish conversation!
Niveau de difficulté
short and common
short and common
short and common
short and common
Quoi apprendre ensuite
Apprends ensuite
Avancé
Grammaire à connaître
Use 'hvorfor' at the beginning of a question to ask 'why'.
Hvorfor er du her? (Why are you here?)
When 'hvorfor' introduces a subordinate clause, the verb typically comes after the subject.
Jeg ved ikke, hvorfor han græder. (I don't know why he is crying.)
'Hvorfor' can also be used in statements to express a reason or explanation.
Det er derfor, hvorfor jeg er sur. (That's why I'm angry.)
You can use 'hvorfor ikke' to say 'why not'.
Hvorfor ikke spise is? (Why not eat ice cream?)
'Hvorfor' can be followed by a full sentence, making it a complete question.
Hvorfor kan du ikke komme? (Why can't you come?)
Exemples par niveau
Hvorfor græder du?
Why are you crying?
Hvorfor er han her?
Why is he here?
Hvorfor spiser du ikke?
Why don't you eat?
Hvorfor kører vi?
Why are we driving?
Hvorfor sover babyen?
Why is the baby sleeping?
Hvorfor er du glad?
Why are you happy?
Hvorfor læser hun?
Why is she reading?
Hvorfor løber katten?
Why is the cat running?
Hvorfor græder du?
Why are you crying?
Simple question structure.
Jeg forstår ikke, hvorfor han er sur.
I don't understand why he is angry.
Subordinate clause after 'hvorfor'.
Kan du forklare, hvorfor vejret er så dårligt?
Can you explain why the weather is so bad?
Indirect question structure.
Hun spurgte, hvorfor jeg ikke kom til festen.
She asked why I didn't come to the party.
Past tense, indirect question.
Hvorfor er døren åben?
Why is the door open?
Direct question about a state.
De ved ikke, hvorfor toget er forsinket.
They don't know why the train is delayed.
Subordinate clause, present tense.
Hvorfor vil du lære dansk?
Why do you want to learn Danish?
Question about intention.
Jeg ved ikke, hvorfor det er vigtigt.
I don't know why it is important.
Subordinate clause, impersonal subject 'det'.
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
Hvorfor er himlen blå?
Why is the sky blue?
Kan du forklare mig hvorfor?
Can you explain to me why?
Hvorfor kommer du så sent?
Why are you coming so late?
Jeg forstår ikke hvorfor han gjorde det.
I don't understand why he did that.
Hvorfor har vi ikke mere kaffe?
Why don't we have more coffee?
Hvorfor er du så træt i dag?
Why are you so tired today?
Hvorfor tager det så lang tid?
Why does it take so long?
Jeg vil gerne vide hvorfor.
I would like to know why.
Hvorfor smiler du?
Why are you smiling?
Hvorfor er din telefon slukket?
Why is your phone off?
Famille de mots
Noms
Comment l'utiliser
Use hvorfor to ask for a reason or explanation. It's directly equivalent to the English 'why'.
Hvorfor er du her? (Why are you here?)
Jeg ved ikke, hvorfor han griner. (I don't know why he is laughing.)
A common mistake for English speakers is to forget that in a question, the verb often comes before the subject after hvorfor, similar to English:
Correct: Hvorfor spiser du ikke? (Why don't you eat?)
Incorrect: Hvorfor du spiser ikke? (This would be like saying 'Why you eat not?')
Pratique dans la vie réelle
Contextes réels
Asking the reason for something (general)
- Hvorfor er du her?
- Hvorfor gør du det?
- Hvorfor ikke?
Expressing curiosity about a decision
- Hvorfor valgte du den?
- Hvorfor flyttede de?
- Hvorfor sagde hun det?
Inquiring about a feeling or state
- Hvorfor er du ked af det?
- Hvorfor er han glad?
- Hvorfor er vejret sådan?
Questioning a statement or action
- Hvorfor siger du det?
- Hvorfor gjorde de det?
- Hvorfor svarer du ikke?
Explaining a reason (often with 'fordi')
- Jeg forstår ikke, hvorfor...
- Han spurgte, hvorfor...
- Kan du forklare, hvorfor...?
Amorces de conversation
"Hvorfor lærer du dansk?"
"Hvorfor er kaffe så populært i Danmark?"
"Hvorfor er himlen blå?"
"Hvorfor tror du, at folk rejser?"
"Hvorfor er det vigtigt at lære nye ting?"
Sujets d'écriture
Skriv om en situation, hvor du spurgte 'hvorfor'.
Reflektér over, hvorfor du startede med at lære dansk.
Hvad er noget, du undrer dig over? Hvorfor?
Beskriv en situation, hvor du skulle forklare 'hvorfor' til en anden person.
Tænk over en vigtig beslutning du har taget. Hvorfor tog du den?
Teste-toi 24 questions
Choose the correct translation of 'Why are you happy?'
'Hvorfor' means 'why'. The other options mean 'when', 'what', and 'where' respectively.
Which word correctly completes the sentence: '___ er han her?' (Why is he here?)
To ask 'why', we use 'hvorfor'. 'Hvem' means 'who', 'hvordan' means 'how', and 'hvilken' means 'which'.
You want to ask 'Why do you learn Danish?'. Which is the correct Danish sentence?
This sentence correctly uses 'hvorfor' for 'why' and has the correct word order for a question.
The Danish word 'hvorfor' means 'where'.
'Hvorfor' means 'why'. The Danish word for 'where' is 'hvor'.
If you want to ask 'why', you should use the word 'hvorfor' in Danish.
'Hvorfor' is indeed the Danish word for 'why'.
The sentence 'Hvorfor spiser du æbler?' means 'Why do you eat apples?'
'Hvorfor' means 'why', 'spiser' means 'eat', 'du' means 'you', and 'æbler' means 'apples'. The sentence translates correctly.
___ vil du lære dansk?
The question asks 'why' someone wants to learn Danish, making 'hvorfor' the correct choice.
Jeg forstår ikke, ___ han altid er så træt.
The sentence expresses a lack of understanding about 'why' he is always tired, so 'hvorfor' fits.
___ er det vigtigt at spise sundt?
The question is asking for the reason 'why' it's important to eat healthily.
Kan du forklare mig, ___ du traf den beslutning?
The speaker wants to know the reason 'why' the decision was made.
De undrede sig over, ___ butikken var lukket tidligt.
They were wondering 'why' the shop closed early, so 'hvorfor' is the correct word.
Jeg spørger dig, ___ du ikke kom til mødet i går.
The speaker is asking for the reason 'why' the person didn't attend the meeting.
Vælg den bedste oversættelse af 'Hvorfor studerer du dansk?'
'Hvorfor' betyder 'why'.
Fuldend sætningen: 'Jeg forstår ikke, ____ du er så glad.'
Sætningen spørger efter årsagen, så 'hvorfor' (why) er korrekt.
Hvilket ord kan erstatte 'hvorfor' i sætningen 'Hvorfor er himlen blå?'
'Af hvilken grund' er en synonym phrase for 'hvorfor'.
Sætningen 'Hvorfor spiser du så meget frugt?' spørger om mængden af frugt.
Sætningen spørger om årsagen til at spise så meget frugt, ikke mængden. 'Hvorfor' betyder 'why'.
'Jeg ved ikke, hvorfor han kom for sent' betyder 'I don't know why he was late'.
'Hvorfor' betyder 'why', og resten af sætningen er korrekt oversat.
Du kan bruge 'hvorfor' til at spørge om et tidspunkt.
'Hvorfor' bruges til at spørge om årsager. 'Hvornår' bruges til at spørge om tidspunkter.
The government's decision on reforms.
Understanding reasons for climate change ignorance.
Explaining the significance of a scientific discovery.
Read this aloud:
Hvorfor er det vigtigt at opretholde en sund balance mellem arbejde og fritid i en moderne livsstil?
Focus: Hvorfor, opretholde, moderne livsstil
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
Diskuter, hvorfor kulturel forståelse er afgørende for internationalt samarbejde.
Focus: Diskuter, kulturel, afgørende, internationalt samarbejde
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Hvorfor er vedvarende energi en så central del af fremtidens globale energistrategi?
Focus: Hvorfor, vedvarende energi, central, energistrategi
Tu as dit :
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/ 24 correct
Perfect score!
Contenu associé
Ce mot dans d'autres langues
Grammaire lie
Expressions liées
Plus de mots sur general
afbryde
B1To stop something from continuing
afbøje
B2To deflect or turn aside.
afgørende
B1decisive or crucial
afholde
B2to hold or host an event, or to refrain from
afhængig
B1Determined or decided by something else
afkorte
B2To shorten or reduce in length.
afmærke
B2To mark or indicate a position.
afrunde
B2To conclude or make complete.
afslutte
B1to bring to an end
afsløre
B2to make something secret known
