Swedish/Norwegian/Danish: The V2 Rule of Scandinavia

Stepping into the linguistics of Scandinavian languages Swedish, Norwegian and Danish lead us to the captivating V2 rule. This rule, intricately woven into the fabric of their syntax, governs sentence structure in a distinctive manner. In this easy-to-understand lesson, we'll embark on a thorough exploration of the V2 rule, dissect its mechanics, dive into practical examples and equip learners with strategies to navigate this linguistic labyrinth.

This foundational principle called verb-second rule forms the backbone of sentence structure across these Scandinavian languages, creating an innate rhythm in their expression.

In sentences following this rule, the second position is reserved for the main verb. The first position is taken by the subject or another word group. This pattern helps sentences flow naturally and be clear.

🇸🇪 I morgon ska jag besöka museet. (Tomorrow, I will visit the museum.)

🇳🇴 I kveld skal jeg lese den nye boken. (Tonight, I will read the new book.)

🇩🇰 I weekenden vil jeg besøge min bedstefar. (During the weekend, I will visit my grandfather.)

• Respectively “i morgon”, “i kveld” and “i weekenden” claim the first spot, so “ska”, “skal” and “vil” comes before the subject to execute V2 rule.

Here are some more examples;

🇸🇪 Elin är stressad eftersom föräldrarna kommer.

🇳🇴 Elin er stresset fordi foreldrene kommer.

🇩🇰 Elin er stresset fordi forældrene kommer.

• Elin claims first spot

🇸🇪 Eftersom hennes föräldrar kommer, är Elin stressad.

🇳🇴 Fordi foreldrene hennes kommer, er Elin stresset.

🇩🇰 Fordi hendes forældre kommer, er Elin stresset.

• Italic text indicates firsts spot here.

———

🇸🇪 Elin blir glad om Eva hjälper henne.

🇳🇴 Elin blir glad hvis Eva hjelper henne.

🇩🇰 Elin bliver glad hvis Eva hjælper hende.

• Elin claims first spot

🇸🇪 Om Eva hjälper henne, blir Elin glad.

🇳🇴 Hvis Eva hjelper henne, blir Elin glad.

🇩🇰 Hvis Eva hjælper hende, bliver Elin glad.

• Italic text indicates firsts spot here.

———

🇸🇪 Elin köpte en rock idag.

🇳🇴 Elin kjøpte en frakk i dag.

🇩🇰 Elin købte en frakke i dag.

• Elin claims first spot

🇸🇪 Idag köpte jag en rock.

🇳🇴 I dag kjøpte jeg en frakk.

🇩🇰 I dag købte jeg en frakke.

• Italic text indicates firsts spot here.

But there are also some exceptions!

1- Subordinate clause

The subordinate clause doesn’t adhere to the V2 rule because the emphasis is on the main clause rather than the subordinate clause itself.

🇸🇪 Han sa att han åt en smörgås.

🇳🇴 Han sa at han spiste en smørbrød.

🇩🇰 Han sagde at han spiste en sandwich.

• In this subordinate clause, the finite verb doesn’t appear as the second element. Instead, it follows the conjunction and the subject.

2- Two whole sentences

If sentence consists of two independent clauses connected by the coordinating conjunction like “and”, the V2 rule is not applicable.

🇸🇪 Tröjan är grön och vi har bara mörkblå tråd.

🇳🇴 Genseren er grønn og vi har bare mørkeblå tråd.

🇩🇰 Sweateren er grøn og vi har kun mørkeblå tråd.