V2ordstilling

V2-ordstilling, or verb-second word order, is a term used in Danish linguistics to describe the dominant structure of main clauses in Danish and several other Germanic languages. In V2, the finite verb occupies the second position in the clause, while the first position can be a subject or a fronted element such as a time or place adverbial.

In simple declarative main clauses, the finite verb is typically the second element. If the subject comes first, the verb follows directly: Han kommer i morgen. If a fronted element is placed at the beginning, the verb still occupies the second position: I dag kommer han. Another common pattern is when a modal or auxiliary precedes the subject and the main verb appears in its infinitive form after the finite verb: Nu kan jeg ikke komme.

V2 interacts with other sentence types. In questions, the finite verb appears in second position after the question word or the initial element: Kommer han? Hvornår kommer han? In imperatives, the verb often remains in the first position, which is an exception to the V2 rule: Kom hjem! In subordinate clauses, the finite verb generally moves to the end of the clause: Jeg ved, at han kommer. Thus, V2 applies to main clauses but not to all subordinate structures.

The V2 pattern is a hallmark of Danish and other Germanic languages such as Norwegian and Swedish, where the finite verb is regularly positioned in the second slot in main clauses. The concept is sometimes referred to as omvendt ordstilling (inversion) and is a central feature of the traditional syntax description of these languages.