DANISH GRAMMAR

MASTER DANISH GRAMMAR

We made Danish grammar easy to learn! This Grammar Section is designed to help you understand the essential rules as quickly as possible, so you can begin forming your own sentences from day one. Unlike other courses that overwhelm you with theory, our approach focuses on the most important rules that will allow you to speak Danish confidently and naturally — starting today.

In the lessons ahead, you’ll find everything you need to master Danish grammar. Each topic is explained with practical, easy-to-understand examples to help you not only learn the rules but also remember and apply them. We recommend learning the core 2000 Danish Vocabulary words first — this will make the examples much easier to follow and understand.

The grammar topics covered include the Danish alphabet, nouns, pronouns, conjunctions and prepositions. You’ll also dive into adverbs, adjectives, present, past and future tenses, as well as the imperative, modal verbs, negation, sentence structure, questions, and relative clauses. Click on any section title to jump directly to the topic you're interested in, or start from the beginning and let your knowledge grow naturally.

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Danish Pronunciation

The Danish alphabet is based on the Latin script, consisting of 29 letters. Like English, it includes the familiar A to Z, but adds three special characters at the end: Æ, Ø, and Å. These additional letters give Danish its unique sound system and help distinguish it from other Scandinavian languages. The alphabet is used not only in Denmark but also in the Faroe Islands and in parts of Greenland, where Danish has historical importance as a co-official language.

The complete Danish alphabet is:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Æ Ø Å

While most of these letters resemble their English counterparts, their pronunciation can be quite different. Danish has a reputation for its subtle vowel sounds and for the so-called soft D and stød (a kind of glottal stop), which make it sound smooth and flowing but sometimes challenging for learners.

Vowels

Danish vowels are central to the language’s sound. There are nine main vowels: A, E, I, O, U, Y, Æ, Ø, Å, but each can be pronounced in multiple ways depending on whether it is long, short, or part of a diphthong. The same written vowel can sound completely different in different words.

For example:
Tak thank you
Tag roof
Tage to take

Even though these words look similar, each vowel is pronounced differently. The letters Æ, Ø, and Å are particularly distinctive in Danish and require some practice.

Æ is similar to the a in cat.
Ø is a rounded vowel, somewhere between uh and er.
Å sounds like the o in more.

Examples:
Æble apple
Øl beer
År year

Consonants

Most Danish consonants are the same as in English, but several have special sounds or behave differently depending on their position in a word. The D, G, and V can be particularly tricky for learners.

The soft D is one of the most famous features of Danish. Between vowels or at the end of a word, D is not pronounced like a hard d but more like a soft th or a slight breath.
Mad food
Rød red

In both of these words, the D is softened almost to a whisper.

The G can also be soft, especially at the end of words:
Noget something
Sprog language

The R sound in Danish is produced in the back of the throat, not with the tongue tip. It is softer than in English and often merges with the vowels around it.
Rund round
Regn rain

The Special Danish Letters: Æ, Ø, and Å

These three letters are unique to Danish and Norwegian. They appear at the end of the alphabet and each represents a specific sound not found in English.

Æ – Pronounced like the a in cat or bad.
Example: Æg egg

Ø – A rounded front vowel, pronounced like the u in burn (with rounded lips).
Example: København Copenhagen

Å – Pronounced like the o in more or law.
Example: Små small

These letters are considered separate from A and O, not variants. For instance, Århus comes after Z in alphabetical order, not after A.

Borrowed and Rare Letters

The letters C, Q, W, X, and Z are used mainly in foreign words, names, or loanwords. Danish words rarely begin with them, but they are included in the alphabet for completeness.

Examples:
Café café
Quiz quiz
Weekend weekend
Taxi taxi
Zoo zoo

These letters are often pronounced according to Danish phonetics rather than their original sounds in other languages. For instance, C is often pronounced as s when followed by e or i, as in Cecil.

Capitalization and Orthography

Capital letters are used at the beginning of sentences and for proper nouns, just like in English. Danish does not capitalize all nouns as German does. For example:
Jeg hedder Anna. My name is Anna.
København er en smuk by. Copenhagen is a beautiful city.

In older Danish texts, Aa was used instead of Å, and you can still see this in some names, such as Aarhus, even though the modern spelling is Århus. Both forms are accepted today.

Pronunciation Challenges for Learners

Many learners find Danish pronunciation difficult because some letters are silent, and vowel distinctions can be subtle. The stød, a slight glottal stop or voice break, changes the meaning of words.
For example:
Hun er ven She is a friend
Hun er vend She has turned

Though the words look almost identical, the stød distinguishes their meanings.

Similarly, R often blends into the preceding vowel, changing its quality. The final -e in many words is barely pronounced, often sounding like a weak uh.

Spelling and Sound Correspondence

Danish spelling reflects both modern and historical pronunciation. Over centuries, many sounds have softened or disappeared, but their letters remain in writing. For example:
Hvad what – the d is silent
Hvem who – the h is silent
Lørdag Saturday – the g is silent

This makes reading Danish easier than speaking it at first, but once you learn the patterns, pronunciation becomes more intuitive.

Danish Nouns

Nouns

In Danish, nouns are fundamental building blocks of communication, representing people, objects, places, and ideas. A noun in Danish is called substantiv, and it behaves in many ways that are similar to English, yet with a few distinctive features. Every noun in Danish has a grammatical gender—either common or neuter—which influences how articles and adjectives are used. Unlike English, Danish does not have masculine or feminine genders. The two genders are called fælleskøn (common gender) and intetkøn (neuter gender).

For example:
En mand a man (common gender)
Et hus a house (neuter gender)

The article en is used for common gender nouns, while et is used for neuter nouns. This distinction is essential because it determines how the definite form of the noun is created. In Danish, the definite article is not placed before the noun but added at the end of it as a suffix.

Manden the man
Huset the house

This pattern is one of the most recognizable features of Danish grammar and gives the language its characteristic rhythm and flow. Learners often find it intuitive once they get used to it, as the endings are regular and easy to recognize.

Plural forms are generally formed by adding -er, -e, or nothing at all, depending on the word. The plural definite form combines both the plural ending and the definite suffix.

Examples:
En stol a chair → Stole chairs → Stolene the chairs
Et bord a table → Borde tables → Bordene the tables

Some nouns do not change in the plural:
Et æble an apple → Æbler apples → Æblerne the apples

Gender and number are key to mastering the Danish noun system. Many nouns follow predictable patterns, but there are irregular forms that learners should memorize through exposure and practice.

Gender and Meaning

The distinction between en and et nouns is not always logical. Words referring to people are often en nouns:
En kvinde a woman
En lærer a teacher

Objects, materials, and abstract concepts are often et nouns:
Et glas a glass
Et sprog a language

However, there are exceptions, so memorizing the article with the noun is the best approach. Many learners make flashcards or lists that include both the indefinite and definite forms to internalize the patterns.

Definite and Indefinite Forms

The indefinite article (like a or an in English) is en or et, while the definite article (the) is expressed by attaching -en or -et to the noun.

En bil a car → Bilen the car
Et brev a letter → Brevet the letter

If the noun ends in an unstressed -e, the definite suffix becomes -n or -t only:
En pige a girl → Pigen the girl
Et æble an apple → Æblet the apple

Plurals

There are several patterns for forming the plural of Danish nouns, but most follow one of three main endings: -er, -e, or no ending.

1. -er is the most common ending for en nouns:
   En dreng a boy → Drenger boys → Drengene the boys

2. -e is used for many short en and et nouns:
   En stol a chair → Stole chairs → Stolene the chairs
   Et hus a house → Huse houses → Husene the houses

3. Some nouns do not change in the plural form:
   Et æble an apple → Æbler apples → Æblerne the apples

Irregular plural forms are relatively rare but important in high-frequency words:
En mand a man → Mænd men
En tand a tooth → Tænder teeth
Et barn a child → Børn children

Compound Nouns

Danish, like German and Swedish, loves compound words. Two or more nouns can be joined to create a new meaning. The last word in the compound determines the gender and number of the noun.

Et sprog a language + Et kursus a course → Et sprogkursus a language course
En bil a car + En nøgle a key → En bilnøgle a car key

When reading or listening, it’s important to recognize the structure of compound nouns to understand their meaning correctly. Danish writers often merge long sequences of words into one, resulting in terms like arbejdsmiljølovgivning work environment legislation.

Proper Nouns

Proper nouns, such as names of people, cities, or countries, are capitalized in Danish, just as in English. However, days of the week, months, and nationalities are not capitalized.

Danmark Denmark
København Copenhagen
en dansker a Dane
mandag Monday

This rule helps distinguish between personal or geographic names and general expressions.

Danish Cases

Unlike many other European languages, Danish has a relatively simple case system. Historically, Old Danish had a complex system of grammatical cases—nominative, genitive, dative, and accusative—similar to that of German or Old Norse. Over the centuries, however, the Danish language simplified considerably. Today, only one case remains productive in modern usage: the genitive (possessive) case. All other functions that used to depend on cases are now expressed through word order and prepositions rather than changes in the noun’s ending.

This simplicity makes Danish easier to learn than languages with rich inflectional systems. Yet, understanding the function of the genitive case and how word order replaces older case distinctions is crucial for mastering fluent Danish grammar.

The Genitive Case

The genitive is used to show possession or close association. It is formed by adding -s to the end of the noun, much like the English possessive ’s.

Peters bog Peter’s book
Kvindens taske the woman’s bag
Barnets legetøj the child’s toy

Unlike English, Danish does not use an apostrophe in regular nouns. The -s ending is attached directly to the noun, even if it already ends with an s sound.

Anders taske Anders’s bag
Lars bil Lars’s car

However, if the noun is plural and already ends in -s, no additional -s is added.

Forældres hus parents’ house
Vennernes fest the friends’ party

This pattern applies equally to people, objects, and abstract concepts. The genitive connects two nouns in a relationship of possession, belonging, or association.

Definite and Indefinite Forms in the Genitive

When a noun in the genitive is definite, the definite article remains attached as a suffix, followed by -s.

Hundens mad the dog’s food
Husets tag the house’s roof

If the noun is indefinite, you simply add -s to the base form.

En hunds mad a dog’s food
Et hus’ tag a house’s roof

Note that et hus’ with a trailing apostrophe is sometimes used for clarity in writing when a word ends in s, x, or z, but this is mostly a stylistic choice and not required in everyday usage.

Genitive with Names and Proper Nouns

Proper names follow the same rules. There is no apostrophe before s unless the name already ends in an s, x, or z, in which case an apostrophe alone indicates possession.

Marias ven Maria’s friend
Anders’ søster Anders’s sister
Alex’ bog Alex’s book

This rule applies to company names, places, and other proper nouns as well.

Danmarks hovedstad the capital of Denmark
Europas grænser Europe’s borders

Prepositions Replacing Cases

Old Danish once used cases to show grammatical relationships such as direction, origin, or instrumentality. Modern Danish instead uses prepositions. For example, instead of changing the form of a noun to indicate motion or location, prepositions express those meanings clearly.

Jeg går til skolen I go to the school
Jeg er i skolen I am in the school
Jeg kommer fra skolen I come from the school

Here, the prepositions til (to), i (in), and fra (from) take the place of separate case endings.

Similarly, indirect objects that would require a dative case in other languages are expressed through word order.

Jeg giver manden bogen I give the man the book
Jeg giver bogen til manden I give the book to the man

Both sentences are correct, but the word order in Danish makes the relationships clear without needing case endings.

Word Order as a Substitute for Cases

Since Danish has lost most of its case endings, word order now carries the grammatical weight that cases once did. The subject usually comes before the verb, and the object follows it. This structure helps identify who is doing what in a sentence.

Kvinden elsker manden The woman loves the man
Manden elsker kvinden The man loves the woman

The difference in meaning comes entirely from the order of words, not from any change in the nouns themselves.

Pronouns and Case Remnants

While nouns have lost all but one case, Danish personal pronouns still retain distinct forms for subject and object positions, a relic of the older case system.

Jeg ser hende I see her
Hun ser mig She sees me

The subject pronouns (jeg, du, han, hun) and object pronouns (mig, dig, ham, hende) are examples of how Danish preserves traces of an older nominative and accusative distinction, even though nouns no longer do.

Danish Adjectives

Adjectives in Danish, known as adjektiver, describe qualities, characteristics, and states of nouns. They play a central role in adding detail and emotion to speech, allowing speakers to express everything from size and color to personality and opinion. Danish adjectives agree in gender, number, and definiteness with the noun they describe, which means they change form depending on whether the noun is common or neuter, singular or plural, and definite or indefinite.

Although this may seem complex at first, the system is remarkably regular. Once learners understand the basic patterns, adjectives in Danish become predictable and even enjoyable to use.

Basic Form and Gender Agreement

In the indefinite singular form, adjectives are used directly before the noun and agree with the noun’s gender.

For common gender nouns (those that use en), the adjective stays in its base form:
En stor bil a big car
En smuk kvinde a beautiful woman

For neuter nouns (those that use et), the adjective usually takes the ending -t:
Et stort hus a big house
Et gammelt bord an old table

In the plural form, adjectives take the ending -e, regardless of gender:
Store biler big cars
Gamle huse old houses

This system makes it easy to identify the relationship between adjectives and the nouns they describe.

Definite Form of Adjectives

When a noun is definite—that is, when it has a definite article or a possessive pronoun—the adjective takes the -e ending and is preceded by the word den, det, or de.

Den store bil the big car
Det gamle bord the old table
De smukke børn the beautiful children

These words (den, det, de) agree in gender and number with the noun. This definite construction is used both with and without the noun being explicitly marked as definite with a suffix.

For example:
Den store mand the big man
Mandens store hat the man’s big hat

In both cases, the adjective takes the -e form because the noun is definite—either by article or by possession.

Comparative and Superlative Forms

Adjectives in Danish can be compared in three degrees: positive, comparative, and superlative.

1. Positive – the basic form:
   stor big

2. Comparative – usually formed by adding -ere:
   større bigger

3. Superlative – formed by adding -st or -este, depending on the word:
   størst biggest

Examples in sentences:
Mit hus er stort My house is big
Dit hus er større Your house is bigger
Hans hus er størst His house is the biggest

Some adjectives form their comparatives irregularly, especially those that are short or commonly used:
god good → bedre better → bedst best
dårlig bad → værre worse → værst worst
mange many → flere more → flest most

Adjectives after Verbs

Adjectives also appear after verbs, especially forms of at være to be, at blive to become, or at se to look. In these cases, the adjective describes the subject of the sentence and remains in its basic form.

Hun er smuk She is beautiful
Huset er stort The house is big
Han bliver træt He is getting tired
De ser glade ud They look happy

When the adjective follows a linking verb, it does not take endings for gender or number—it stays in its standard form.

Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns

When a possessive pronoun is used before a noun, the adjective takes the definite -e ending, even though there is no definite article.

Min gamle ven my old friend
Mit røde hus my red house
Mine søde børn my sweet children

The form of the possessive pronoun (min, mit, mine) determines the gender and number agreement, but the adjective itself consistently ends in -e after a possessive.

Adjectives Used as Nouns

Adjectives can also stand alone as nouns, referring to a general group or category. In these cases, the adjective takes the definite article and functions as a noun meaning “the [adjective] ones” or “the [adjective] people.”

De unge the young
De gamle the old
De syge the sick

This structure is common in both everyday speech and formal writing.

Position of Adjectives

The adjective usually comes before the noun it modifies, as in en stor by a big city. However, when used predicatively (after a linking verb), it follows the subject:

Byen er stor The city is big

Danish rarely uses adjectives after nouns, unlike French or some poetic forms in English.

Irregular Adjectives

A few adjectives have irregular endings or stem changes, often inherited from Old Norse. These must be memorized individually.

lille small → mindre smaller → mindst smallest
ung young → yngre younger → yngst youngest

Irregular adjectives are among the most common in the language, so learners encounter them frequently in everyday conversation.

Danish Pronouns

Pronouns, or pronomen, are words that replace nouns to avoid repetition and make sentences flow naturally. In Danish, pronouns change form depending on their grammatical role in the sentence—whether they act as the subject, object, or possessive element. While the case system in Danish nouns has mostly disappeared, pronouns still preserve distinctions between subject and object forms, much like English. Learning to use pronouns correctly is crucial for forming natural Danish sentences and for understanding how people refer to themselves and others in both formal and informal contexts.

Personal Pronouns

Danish personal pronouns distinguish between subject and object forms. The subject form is used when the pronoun performs the action of the verb, and the object form is used when it receives the action.

Jeg ser ham I see him
Han ser mig He sees me

Below is an explanation of the most common personal pronouns in use:

Jeg I
Du you (singular)
Han he
Hun she
Den / Det it (common / neuter)
Vi we
I you (plural)
De they

Object forms:

Mig me
Dig you
Ham him
Hende her
Den / Det it
Os us
Jer you (plural)
Dem them

Just like in English, the position of the pronoun in the sentence determines which form you use.

Jeg elsker dig I love you
Hun hjælper os She helps us
Vi kender dem We know them

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object refer to the same person or thing. The Danish reflexive pronoun is sig, used in the third person for both singular and plural.

Han vasker sig He washes himself
De ser sig i spejlet They see themselves in the mirror

In the first and second person, regular object pronouns are used:
Jeg vasker mig I wash myself
Du ser dig selv You see yourself

When emphasizing the reflexive action, the expression sig selv or mig selv is used to mean oneself, myself, yourself, etc.

Hun taler med sig selv She talks to herself
Jeg gør det selv I do it myself

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns indicate ownership and must agree with the gender and number of the possessed noun, not the possessor. Danish uses min/mit/mine, din/dit/dine, and sin/sit/sine, among others.

Min – used with common gender singular nouns
Mit – used with neuter gender singular nouns
Mine – used with plural nouns

Examples:
Min bog my book
Mit hus my house
Mine venner my friends

Similarly for the second person:
Din bil your car
Dit bord your table
Dine børn your children

For the third person reflexive possessive, Danish uses sin/sit/sine, which means his/her/its/their own. It refers back to the subject of the sentence.

Han elsker sin hund He loves his (own) dog
Hun elsker hendes hund She loves her (someone else’s) dog

This distinction is subtle but important. Sin always refers back to the subject, while hans or hendes refers to another person’s possession.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns point to specific things or people. The most common are den, det, and de, which mean this/that or these/those depending on context.

Den her bil this car
Det der hus that house
De her mennesker these people

Without additional words like her (here) or der (there), den and det can also stand alone:
Hvad er det? What is that?
Det er godt That is good

Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns connect two clauses and refer back to a noun mentioned earlier. The most common relative pronoun in Danish is som, which means who, that, or which.

Manden, som bor der, er læge The man who lives there is a doctor
Bogen, som jeg læser, er interessant The book that I am reading is interesting

The relative pronoun der is sometimes used instead of som, particularly when it refers to the subject of the clause:
Manden, der taler, er min lærer The man who is speaking is my teacher

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. The most common ones are:
Hvem who
Hvad what
Hvilken / hvilket / hvilke which (common / neuter / plural)

Examples:
Hvem er det? Who is that?
Hvad laver du? What are you doing?
Hvilken film vil du se? Which film do you want to see?

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to people or things in a general or non-specific way. Some of the most frequent are:
nogen someone
noget something
ingen no one / none
alle everyone
hver each / every

Examples:
Der er nogen i huset There is someone in the house
Jeg har ikke noget at sige I have nothing to say
Alle elsker kaffe Everyone loves coffee

Danish Prepositions

Prepositions, known as forholdsord in Danish, are small but essential words that express relationships between nouns, pronouns, and other elements in a sentence. They indicate direction, location, time, possession, cause, and many abstract relations such as purpose or manner. Danish prepositions are often used in ways similar to English, but their usage can differ subtly depending on the verb or expression they accompany. Understanding prepositions is key to sounding natural in Danish because they frequently appear in idioms and fixed phrases that cannot always be translated word for word.

Basic Prepositions of Place

The most common prepositions in Danish indicate where something or someone is. These include i, på, under, over, ved, mellem, bag, and foran.

i – in / inside
Used for enclosed spaces or geographical areas.
Jeg er i huset I am in the house
Hun bor i Danmark She lives in Denmark

på – on / at
Used for surfaces, islands, and some institutions.
Bogen ligger på bordet The book is on the table
Han er på arbejde He is at work
Vi bor på Fyn We live on Funen

under – under / beneath
Katten sover under sengen The cat sleeps under the bed

over – over / above
Lampen hænger over bordet The lamp hangs over the table

mellem – between
Skolen ligger mellem kirken og butikken The school is between the church and the shop

ved – by / near / at
Hun står ved døren She stands by the door

bag – behind
Bilen holder bag huset The car is parked behind the house

foran – in front of
Der står et træ foran vinduet There is a tree in front of the window

These prepositions are crucial for describing locations and spatial relationships. Many of them can also be used metaphorically in more abstract expressions, such as under pres under pressure or over tid over time.

Prepositions of Direction

Prepositions of direction express movement toward or away from something. The most frequent are til, fra, and mod.

til – to / toward
Jeg går til skolen I am going to the school
Han rejser til Spanien He is traveling to Spain

fra – from
Vi kommer fra København We come from Copenhagen

mod – toward / against
Hun løber mod havet She runs toward the sea
Det er en kamp mod tiden It’s a race against time

In idiomatic Danish, til is also used for expressing purpose or target:
Jeg skriver til dig I am writing to you

Prepositions of Time

Danish uses prepositions to specify when something happens. The most common are i, om, på, før, and efter.

i – in (used with months, seasons, and years)
Vi rejser i juli We travel in July
Hun blev født i 1990 She was born in 1990

om – in / after (used for future times or repeated periods)
Jeg kommer om fem minutter I’ll come in five minutes
Han løber om morgenen He runs in the morning

på – on (used with weekdays or specific occasions)
Vi mødes på mandag We meet on Monday
På julen spiser vi and At Christmas we eat duck

før – before
Han kom før mig He arrived before me

efter – after
Efter frokosten går vi en tur After lunch we go for a walk

Prepositions of Cause, Purpose, and Means

Danish also uses prepositions to express why something happens or how something is done.

af – by / of / because of
Bogen er skrevet af H.C. Andersen The book was written by H.C. Andersen
Hun døde af sygdom She died of illness

med – with / by means of
Han skriver med en pen He writes with a pen
Jeg rejser med toget I travel by train

for – for / in order to / because
Dette er for dig This is for you
Han arbejder for at tjene penge He works to earn money
Hun blev træt for tidligt She became tired too early

uden – without
Han gik uden jakke He went without a jacket

til – for / to / for the purpose of
Kagen er til børnene The cake is for the children

Prepositional Phrases and Idiomatic Use

Many prepositions form idiomatic expressions that cannot be translated literally. For instance:
at være god til noget to be good at something
at have brug for noget to need something
at stole på nogen to trust someone
at være træt af noget to be tired of something

Each expression combines a verb with a fixed preposition, and changing the preposition would change or destroy the meaning. Learners should treat such phrases as single units.

Double Prepositions and Adverbial Forms

Sometimes prepositions combine with adverbs to create specific meanings:
ud af out of
ind i into
op på up onto
ned fra down from

Examples:
Han gik ud af huset He went out of the house
Katten sprang op på bordet The cat jumped up onto the table

These combinations help express fine shades of direction or movement.

Danish Adverbs

Adverbs, or biord, are essential elements in Danish grammar that modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or entire sentences. They provide important details about how, when, where, and to what extent an action occurs. Unlike adjectives, which agree with the noun in gender or number, adverbs in Danish are invariable—they do not change form regardless of context. This makes them easier to use, but it also means that learners must pay close attention to word placement and idiomatic meaning.

Adverbs bring subtlety and rhythm to Danish. They help speakers express not just facts, but attitude, mood, and precision.

Formation of Adverbs

Many adverbs in Danish are formed directly from adjectives. Typically, the adjective’s neuter form (ending in -t) serves as the adverb.

sikker safe → sikkert safely
hurtig quick → hurtigt quickly
rolig calm → roligt calmly

Examples in sentences:
Han kører sikkert He drives safely
Hun taler hurtigt She speaks quickly
De arbejder roligt They work calmly

However, not all adverbs come from adjectives. Many are independent words that must be memorized.

her here
der there
nu now
snart soon
aldrig never

Adverbs of Manner

These adverbs describe how something is done. They often answer the question Hvordan? (How?).

Hun synger smukt She sings beautifully
De arbejder hårdt They work hard
Han løber hurtigt He runs fast
Jeg taler langsomt I speak slowly

Some adverbs of manner come from idiomatic expressions, where literal translation may not make sense:
at stå tidligt op to get up early
at tage det roligt to take it easy

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time indicate when something happens or how often. These include words such as nu, i går, snart, ofte, aldrig, and altid.

nu now
i dag today
i morgen tomorrow
i går yesterday
snart soon
ofte often
sjældent rarely
aldrig never
altid always

Examples:
Jeg arbejder i dag I work today
Han rejser i morgen He travels tomorrow
Vi ses snart We’ll see each other soon
Hun kommer altid til tiden She always arrives on time

Adverbs of Place

These adverbs describe where something happens. Danish often distinguishes between motion and position by pairing words like her/der (location) and hen/hertil/dertil (movement).

her here
der there
hen toward there
hjem homeward
ude outside
inde inside
oppe upstairs / up
nede downstairs / down

Examples:
Kom her! Come here!
Han står der He stands there
Jeg går hjem I’m going home
Børnene leger udenfor The children are playing outside

To express movement, hen and hjem are frequently used with verbs of motion:
gå hen go over (to)
tage hjem go home

Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of frequency express how often something occurs. They typically appear after the verb in main clauses.

altid always
sommetider sometimes
ofte often
sjældent seldom
aldrig never

Examples:
Jeg drikker altid kaffe om morgenen I always drink coffee in the morning
Hun går sommetider i biografen She sometimes goes to the cinema
Vi spiser sjældent ude We rarely eat out
Han kommer aldrig for sent He never comes late

Adverbs of Degree

These adverbs describe how much or to what extent something happens. They can intensify or weaken the meaning of adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs.

meget very / much
lidt a little
alt for too (much)
temmelig quite
ret rather
helt completely
næsten almost

Examples:
Det er meget koldt i dag It is very cold today
Jeg er lidt træt I am a little tired
Hun taler ret godt dansk She speaks rather good Danish
Vi er næsten færdige We are almost finished

Adverbs of Negation and Affirmation

To say no or not, Danish uses adverbs like ikke, nej, and jo.

ikke not – used to make sentences negative
nej no – used as a reply
jo yes / on the contrary – used to contradict a negative statement

Examples:
Jeg spiser ikke kød I don’t eat meat
Nej, jeg vil ikke med No, I don’t want to come
Jo, det gør jeg! Yes, I do! (as a contradiction)

Sentence Adverbs

Sentence adverbs affect the meaning of the whole sentence rather than a single word. They indicate the speaker’s attitude or the logical relationship between ideas.

måske perhaps
selvfølgelig of course
desværre unfortunately
heldigvis fortunately
faktisk actually
allerede already

Examples:
Måske kommer han senere Perhaps he will come later
Desværre regner det i dag Unfortunately, it’s raining today
Faktisk taler hun dansk flydende Actually, she speaks Danish fluently

Sentence adverbs typically come early in the sentence, often after the verb in main clauses.

Word Order with Adverbs

The placement of adverbs in Danish follows specific rules. In main clauses, the verb normally takes the second position, and the adverb follows it.

Jeg spiser altid morgenmad I always eat breakfast
Hun taler ikke fransk She does not speak French

However, when an adverb modifies the entire sentence (like måske or heldigvis), it usually appears at the beginning:
Måske kommer de i morgen Maybe they’ll come tomorrow

Present Tense in Danish

The present tense, known in Danish as nutid, is one of the most important and frequently used verb forms. It describes actions that happen right now, habitual actions, general truths, and even future events when accompanied by time expressions. The present tense in Danish is remarkably straightforward—there is only one ending, -r, added to the verb stem for all subjects. This simplicity is one of the reasons Danish verbs are often considered easier than those in many other European languages.

Formation of the Present Tense

The infinitive form of Danish verbs usually ends in -e. To form the present tense, remove the -e and add -r.

at tale to speak → taler speak / speaks
at bo to live / reside → bor live / lives
at arbejde to work → arbejder work / works
at skrive to write → skriver write / writes

Examples in sentences:
Jeg taler dansk I speak Danish
Du arbejder hårdt You work hard
Han skriver et brev He writes a letter
Vi bor i København We live in Copenhagen

The verb form is the same for all subjects. There is no difference between I speak, he speaks, or they speak—they all use the same -r ending.

Verbs That End in a Consonant

Some Danish verbs do not end in -e in the infinitive. When this happens, the -r is added directly to the stem without removing anything.

at tro to believe → tror believe / believes
at bo to live → bor live / lives
at gå to go → går go / goes

Examples:
Jeg tror på Gud I believe in God
Hun går i skole She goes to school
Vi bor i et lille hus We live in a small house

Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense

Although most Danish verbs are regular, there are some common irregular ones whose forms must be memorized.

at være to be → er am / is / are
at have to have → har have / has
at gøre to do / make → gør do / does
at vide to know (a fact) → ved know / knows**
at kunne can / be able to → kan can
at ville to want / will → vil want / will
at skulle shall / must → skal shall / must

Examples:
Jeg er træt I am tired
Hun har en bil She has a car
Vi gør det i morgen We’ll do it tomorrow
Han ved det ikke He doesn’t know it

These verbs are irregular only in form; their use follows the same syntactic rules as regular verbs.

Usage of the Present Tense

The Danish present tense can express several meanings depending on context.

1. Actions happening now

Jeg læser en bog I am reading a book
De spiser aftensmad They are eating dinner

Danish does not have a separate continuous form (I am reading), so the simple present covers both meanings—present and present continuous—depending on context.

2. Habitual actions

Jeg løber hver morgen I run every morning
Han arbejder altid om søndagen He always works on Sundays

These describe regular, repeated activities.

3. General truths

Vand koger ved hundrede grader Water boils at one hundred degrees
Jorden er rund The Earth is round

Such statements describe facts that are always true.

4. Future events

The present tense can also express the future when time is indicated by adverbs like i morgen tomorrow or snart soon.
Jeg rejser i morgen I am traveling tomorrow
De mødes næste uge They are meeting next week

In Danish, it’s not always necessary to use a separate future tense (like will in English). The present tense combined with a time expression is often sufficient.

Negation in the Present Tense

To make a verb negative, simply add ikke not after the verb (or after the subject when using the verb er).

Jeg taler ikke fransk I do not speak French
Han bor ikke her He does not live here
Vi er ikke klar We are not ready

Word order is essential. The verb still keeps its second-place position in the sentence.

Questions in the Present Tense

Questions are formed by inverting the subject and the verb.

Taler du engelsk? Do you speak English?
Bor han i Odense? Does he live in Odense?
Er hun træt? Is she tired?

In everyday speech, rising intonation often accompanies such questions, similar to English.

Expressions of Habit and Frequency

When describing routines or habits, adverbs of frequency often appear with the present tense.

Jeg drikker altid kaffe om morgenen I always drink coffee in the morning
Hun går sommetider i biografen She sometimes goes to the cinema
De spiser sjældent ude They rarely eat out

These expressions reinforce how naturally the present tense connects to daily life in Danish.

Past Tense in Danish

The past tense in Danish, called datid, is used to describe actions that took place in the past—whether recently or long ago. It is the tense of storytelling, experience, and memory. The good news for learners is that Danish has only one simple past tense for most verbs, and it is easy to form once you understand the patterns.

The Danish past tense corresponds to both I did and I have done in English, depending on context. While there is also a compound perfect tense in Danish (formed with har + past participle), the simple past tense is extremely common in spoken and written language.

Formation of the Past Tense

Most Danish verbs form the past tense by adding -ede, -te, or -de to the stem of the infinitive. The pattern depends on whether the verb is regular or irregular.

Regular Verbs Ending in -e

For verbs whose infinitive ends in -e, the most common pattern is to replace the ending with -ede.

at tale to speak → talte spoke
at arbejde to work → arbejdede worked
at rejse to travel → rejste traveled

Examples in sentences:
Jeg talte med ham i går I spoke with him yesterday
Vi arbejdede hele dagen We worked all day
Hun rejste til Paris sidste år She traveled to Paris last year

The -ede ending is pronounced softly, often like “-eðe,” giving Danish its characteristic smooth rhythm.

Verbs Ending in a Voiceless Consonant

If the stem of the verb ends in k, p, s, or t, the past tense ending becomes -te instead of -ede.

at købe to buy → købte bought
at danse to dance → dansede danced
at snakke to chat → snakkede chatted
at besøge to visit → besøgte visited

Examples:
Han købte en ny bil He bought a new car
De besøgte deres venner They visited their friends

The -te ending helps maintain smooth pronunciation, fitting Danish phonetic patterns.

Irregular Verbs

Some verbs change their stem vowel or form irregularly in the past tense. These are among the most common verbs in the language and must be memorized, though they follow recognizable groups.

at være to be → var was / were
at have to have → havde had
at komme to come → kom came
at gå to go → gik went
at se to see → så saw
at tage to take → tog took
at finde to find → fandt found
at skrive to write → skrev wrote
at blive to become / stay → blev became / stayed

Examples:
Jeg var træt i går I was tired yesterday
Hun kom sent hjem She came home late
Vi så en film i aftes We saw a movie last night
Han skrev et brev til sin mor He wrote a letter to his mother

Irregular verbs are essential for fluent communication, as they appear constantly in conversation and literature.

Negative and Interrogative Forms

Negation in the past tense works the same way as in the present tense—simply add ikke not after the verb.

Jeg talte ikke med ham I did not speak with him
Han kom ikke i går He didn’t come yesterday
Vi arbejdede ikke i weekenden We didn’t work on the weekend

Questions are formed by inverting the subject and the verb, or by starting with an interrogative word.

Talte du med hende? Did you speak with her?
Kom han for sent? Did he come late?
Hvornår gik I hjem? When did you go home?

As in other Danish tenses, the main verb stays in the second position in statements and comes before the subject in questions.

Past Tense for Repeated or Completed Actions

The Danish past tense is used both for completed events and for repeated or habitual actions in the past.

Vi boede i Aarhus i fem år We lived in Aarhus for five years
Han løb hver morgen He ran every morning
Jeg arbejdede på et hospital før I worked at a hospital before

Context and time expressions such as i går yesterday, sidste år last year, or for længe siden a long time ago make the time reference clear.

Time Expressions Used with the Past Tense

Common time expressions that appear with the past tense include:
i går yesterday
i aftes last night
sidste uge last week
for to dage siden two days ago
for længe siden a long time ago
da jeg var barn when I was a child

Examples:
Jeg læste bogen i sidste uge I read the book last week
Da jeg var barn, legede jeg udenfor hver dag When I was a child, I played outside every day

Past Tense for Politeness

In Danish, the past tense is sometimes used to make polite requests or questions sound softer, similar to English.

Jeg ville gerne have en kaffe I would like a coffee
Jeg tænkte på, om du kunne hjælpe mig I was wondering if you could help me

Even though the action happens in the present, the past tense creates a polite, indirect tone.

Future Tense in Danish

The future tense, called fremtid in Danish, expresses actions or events that will happen later. Interestingly, Danish does not have a single dedicated verb ending for the future tense as English does with will or shall. Instead, it uses present tense forms together with time expressions or auxiliary verbs such as vil, skal, and kommer til at. This flexibility makes the Danish future both simple and nuanced. The meaning depends largely on context, intention, and tone rather than on specific conjugations.

Forming the Future with “vil”

The most common way to express the future in Danish is by using the auxiliary verb vil (from at ville, to want / will) followed by the infinitive of the main verb.

Jeg vil spise I will eat
Hun vil rejse til Norge She will travel to Norway
Vi vil lære dansk We will learn Danish

Here, vil conveys a future intention or determination, much like will or shall in English. It can also express desire, so context clarifies whether it means want to or will.

Examples:
Jeg vil købe en ny bil næste år I will buy a new car next year
Han vil gerne besøge os snart He would like to visit us soon

When combined with gerne, it becomes polite and expresses preference or willingness rather than obligation.

Forming the Future with “skal”

The auxiliary verb skal (from at skulle, must / shall) is used to describe planned or scheduled future actions, duties, or obligations.

Jeg skal arbejde i morgen I will work tomorrow / I have to work tomorrow
Vi skal mødes klokken otte We will meet at eight o’clock
De skal flytte til Århus They are going to move to Aarhus

The nuance of skal often implies that something has already been arranged or decided. It can also convey obligation, as in must or have to.

Compare the two:
Jeg vil ringe til ham I will call him (I intend to)
Jeg skal ringe til ham I am supposed to call him (it’s planned or expected)

Using “kommer til at”

Another natural way to express future actions, especially those seen as inevitable or certain, is with kommer til at + infinitive.

Det kommer til at regne i morgen It’s going to rain tomorrow
Du kommer til at elske Danmark You’re going to love Denmark
Han kommer til at arbejde meget He’s going to work a lot

This structure is similar to the English going to, but it also carries the sense of something happening naturally or as a result of circumstances, rather than as a deliberate decision.

Present Tense Used for Future Events

Danish often uses the present tense to express future actions when the time is already clear from context. This is one of the most frequent ways to talk about the future in everyday speech.

Jeg rejser i morgen I’m leaving tomorrow
Vi ses næste uge We’ll see each other next week
Hun kommer snart She’s coming soon

The context and time expressions—such as i morgen, snart, or næste år—make the future meaning clear, so an auxiliary verb is unnecessary.

Expressing the Immediate Future

To express an action that will happen very soon, Danish sometimes uses er ved at + infinitive, which literally means is at (doing) and implies something that is about to begin.

Jeg er ved at spise I’m about to eat / I am eating
De er ved at tage af sted They are about to leave
Filmen er ved at begynde The movie is about to start

Although technically present tense, this construction describes an event that is imminent or already underway, overlapping with near-future meaning.

Future with Modal Verbs

Modal verbs can also express the future when paired with time expressions or contextual clues.

Han kan blive læge en dag He can become a doctor one day
Du må se det senere You may see it later
Vi bør tage af sted snart We should leave soon

These sentences refer to possible or expected future actions rather than absolute plans.

Time Expressions Commonly Used for the Future

Because Danish relies heavily on context, time adverbs and phrases play an essential role in marking the future. Some of the most common are:

i morgen tomorrow
snart soon
om lidt in a little while
næste uge next week
næste måned next month
næste år next year
senere later
i fremtiden in the future

Examples:
Vi vil mødes næste uge We will meet next week
Hun skal begynde på universitetet i september She will start university in September
Det kommer til at sne i weekenden It’s going to snow this weekend

Negation and Questions in the Future

Negating a future sentence works the same way as in other tenses—by inserting ikke after the auxiliary verb.

Jeg vil ikke gå i skole i morgen I will not go to school tomorrow
Han skal ikke arbejde på søndag He will not work on Sunday
Det kommer ikke til at ske It’s not going to happen

Questions are formed by placing the auxiliary verb before the subject:
Vil du komme i aften? Will you come tonight?
Skal vi tage toget? Shall we take the train?
Kommer de til at bo her? Are they going to live here?

Imperatives in Danish

The imperative mood, or bydemåde in Danish, is used to give commands, instructions, requests, or invitations. It’s direct, simple, and widely used in both spoken and written Danish. The form is easy to remember because it usually looks like the verb stem without any ending. There is only one imperative form for each verb—no change for number or gender—and it always addresses the second person singular or plural (the listener or listeners).

Imperatives are among the most practical forms in the language, used daily in phrases like come in, listen, or sit down. Understanding their tone and level of politeness is essential, especially since Danish speakers often soften commands with adverbs or polite expressions.

Formation of the Imperative

Most Danish imperatives are formed by removing the -e from the infinitive.

at tale to speak → tal! speak!
at vente to wait → vent! wait!
at spise to eat → spis! eat!
at åbne to open → åbn! open!

Examples:
Tal langsomt! Speak slowly!
Vent lidt! Wait a moment!
Spis din mad! Eat your food!
Åbn vinduet! Open the window!

If the infinitive ends in a consonant (without -e), the imperative form stays the same as the infinitive:
at gå to go → gå! go!
at tro to believe → tro! believe!
at bo to live / reside → bo! live!

Examples:
Gå hjem! Go home!
Tro på dig selv! Believe in yourself!

Negative Imperatives

To make an imperative negative, simply add ikke after the verb.

Tal ikke så højt! Don’t speak so loudly!
Gå ikke derhen! Don’t go there!
Spis ikke for hurtigt! Don’t eat too quickly!

Danish doesn’t use an auxiliary verb like do for negation (as in English don’t speak). The structure remains direct and compact.

Polite and Softened Imperatives

Although the imperative can sound direct, Danish tends to prefer softer, more polite forms in everyday speech. This is often achieved with words like venligst, lige, gerne, or må du / må I.

Vent venligst Please wait
Kom lige her Come here for a moment
Hjælp mig gerne Please help me
Må du tage plads Please take a seat

Adding lige makes the tone casual and friendly, while venligst is used in formal or written requests (such as signs or announcements).

Examples:
Luk døren venligst Please close the door
Kom lige ind! Come in for a moment!
Prøv lige at høre Just try to listen

Plural and Formal Address

Danish uses the same imperative form whether addressing one person or several. The difference is understood through context or the pronoun I (you plural).

Kom her! Come here!
Kom her, alle sammen! Come here, everyone!

In older or very formal Danish, De was used as a polite form of “you,” but modern Danish prefers the simpler du (singular) and I (plural). In formal writing or public notices, commands are often phrased with modal verbs rather than direct imperatives.

Du skal udfylde formularen You must fill out the form
Der må ikke ryges her Smoking is not allowed here

These constructions sound more neutral and polite than a blunt imperative.

Imperatives with Reflexive Verbs

For reflexive verbs (those that use sig), the reflexive pronoun usually follows the imperative.

Sæt dig! Sit down!
Skynd dig! Hurry up!
Klar dig! Get ready!

In plural contexts:
Sæt jer! Sit down (you all)!
Skynd jer! Hurry up (you all)!

The reflexive pronoun changes depending on whether you’re addressing one or more people—dig (singular) or jer (plural).

Imperatives with Object Pronouns

When an imperative involves an object, the pronoun or noun usually follows the verb directly.

Giv mig bogen! Give me the book!
Fortæl os historien! Tell us the story!
Vis hende brevet! Show her the letter!

Danish sentence structure keeps the command clear and concise.

Fixed Expressions with Imperatives

Imperatives appear constantly in idiomatic expressions, signs, and conversational formulas. Some common ones include:

Vær stille! Be quiet!
Pas på! Watch out!
Hold op! Stop!
Slap af! Relax!
Kom ind! Come in!
Lyt til mig! Listen to me!
Tag det roligt! Take it easy!

Each of these is an everyday example of how Danish expresses direct commands while maintaining a polite, restrained tone.

Imperatives in Instructions and Recipes

In written Danish, imperatives are common in instructions, manuals, and recipes.

Tilsæt sukkeret og rør godt Add the sugar and stir well
Skru op for varmen Turn up the heat
Tryk her for at starte Press here to start

These imperatives are neutral and efficient, used to guide rather than command.

Passives in Danish

The passive voice, or passiv, is used in Danish to focus on the action or the result of an action rather than on who performs it. It’s particularly common in formal writing, news, instructions, and situations where the agent is unknown or irrelevant. The Danish passive is formed in two main ways: with the -s ending and with the auxiliary verb blive (to become). Both forms are essential, and their use depends on context and meaning.

Mastering the passive allows learners to express events naturally and clearly—whether describing what is done, was done, or will be done—without always naming the doer of the action.

The -s Passive

The -s form is the most characteristic passive construction in Danish. It is created by adding -s to the verb, usually to the present or past tense form.

at åbne to open → åbnes is opened
at lukke to close → lukkes is closed
at bygge to build → bygges is built
at sælge to sell → sælges is sold

Examples in sentences:
Døren åbnes klokken otte The door is opened at eight o’clock
Huset bygges af et dansk firma The house is being built by a Danish company
Bøgerne sælges her Books are sold here

This construction often corresponds to the English present simple or continuous passive (is built, is being sold). The -s passive is common in newspapers, signs, and official communication because it sounds neutral and impersonal.

Past Tense with -s

To express past passive meaning, the verb takes its past tense form and adds -s.

at åbne to open → åbnede opened → åbnedes was opened
at lukke to close → lukkede closed → lukkedes was closed

Examples:
Butikken lukkedes i går The shop was closed yesterday
Mødet afholdtes i sidste uge The meeting was held last week

Though grammatically correct, the -s past passive sounds formal or literary and is less common in everyday Danish. In conversation, speakers usually prefer the blive passive for past actions.

The “blive” Passive

The second passive form uses the auxiliary verb blive (to become) with the past participle of the main verb. It emphasizes a change of state or an event happening at a specific moment.

Døren bliver åbnet The door is being opened
Vinduerne bliver vasket i morgen The windows will be cleaned tomorrow
Han blev inviteret til festen He was invited to the party

blive is conjugated for tense, while the main verb remains in the past participle form.

bliver – present
blev – past
er blevet – perfect

Examples across tenses:
Brevene bliver sendt i dag The letters are being sent today
Brevene blev sendt i går The letters were sent yesterday
Brevene er blevet sendt The letters have been sent

This form is extremely common in both spoken and written Danish. It often corresponds to the English is being, was, or has been.

Difference Between -s and “blive” Passives

While both express the passive, there is a subtle difference in emphasis and tone:

• The -s passive is more general, static, or habitual.

• The blive passive focuses on action, process, or change.

Compare:
Døren åbnes klokken otte The door is opened at eight (every day / regularly)
Døren bliver åbnet nu The door is being opened now (in this moment)

Another example:
Der sælges bøger i butikken Books are sold in the shop (general fact)
Bøgerne bliver solgt i dag The books are being sold today (specific event)

Agents in Passive Sentences

If you want to mention who performs the action, you add af (by) before the agent.

Huset blev bygget af min far The house was built by my father
Brevene bliver skrevet af sekretæren The letters are written by the secretary
Maden blev lavet af kokken The food was made by the chef

However, this phrase is often omitted unless the agent is important.

Common Verbs Used in Passive

Some verbs appear very frequently in the passive because they describe formal actions, services, or procedures.

at beslutte to decide → besluttes is decided
at sige to say → siges is said
at gøre to do → gøres is done
at vise to show → vises is shown
at finde to find → findes is found / exists

Examples:
Det siges, at han er rig It is said that he is rich
Det besluttes i morgen It will be decided tomorrow
Det findes mange slags ost i Danmark Many kinds of cheese are found in Denmark

Note that findes often means exists rather than is found.

Reflexive Verbs vs. Passives

Danish also has reflexive verbs that look similar to the passive but have different meanings. Compare:

Han vasker sig He washes himself (reflexive)
Han vaskes He is washed (passive)

The reflexive form uses sig, showing that the subject performs and receives the action. The passive form uses -s and removes the agent.

The Passive in Formal and Everyday Use

In everyday spoken Danish, people use passives less often than in writing. Instead, they often choose active constructions with an unspecified subject such as man (one / people):

Man siger, at det er dyrt They say it’s expensive
Man spiser meget fisk i Danmark People eat a lot of fish in Denmark

This structure sounds more natural in conversation, while the -s or blive forms are preferred in formal or written contexts.

Negation in Danish

Negation in Danish, known as nægtelse, is the process of making sentences negative—expressing what does not happen, is not true, or cannot be done. It’s one of the first grammatical structures learners encounter, and it’s used constantly in everyday conversation. Danish negation is remarkably regular and mainly revolves around the word ikke, which corresponds to not in English. However, the position of ikke in the sentence—and how it interacts with verbs, pronouns, and adverbs—requires attention to word order, one of the defining features of Danish syntax.

The Basic Negation with “ikke”

The most common way to form a negative sentence in Danish is to place ikke after the verb in main clauses.

Jeg taler ikke fransk I don’t speak French
Han arbejder ikke i dag He isn’t working today
Vi bor ikke i København We don’t live in Copenhagen

If there is an auxiliary verb (such as har, kan, vil, or skal), ikke is placed after the auxiliary but before the main verb.

Jeg har ikke set ham I haven’t seen him
Hun kan ikke komme i morgen She can’t come tomorrow
Vi vil ikke rejse i dag We don’t want to travel today

In short:

• With a single verb, ikke comes after the verb.

• With two verbs, ikke comes between the auxiliary and the main verb.

This rule is one of the most important aspects of Danish negation.

Negation with “er” (to be)

When the verb at være (to be) appears as the main verb, ikke usually comes right after it.

Jeg er ikke træt I am not tired
Han er ikke hjemme He is not at home
De er ikke klar endnu They are not ready yet

This word order remains the same across tenses:
Jeg var ikke der i går I wasn’t there yesterday
Vi bliver ikke færdige i dag We won’t be finished today

Negation with Pronouns and Objects

If the sentence contains an object, ikke is placed before the object, unless the object is a pronoun. Pronouns always come before ikke.

Jeg kender ikke manden I don’t know the man
Jeg kender ham ikke I don’t know him

Compare:
Vi så ikke filmen We didn’t see the movie
Vi så den ikke We didn’t see it

So the general pattern is:
Subject + verb + ikke + object
but
Subject + verb + pronoun + ikke

Negation with Modal Verbs

Modal verbs—kan, vil, skal, må, bør, and turde—follow a consistent pattern in negative sentences.

Jeg kan ikke svømme I can’t swim
Han vil ikke gå derhen He won’t go there
Vi skal ikke arbejde i morgen We must not work tomorrow
Hun må ikke tale nu She may not speak now

Here again, ikke follows the modal verb and precedes the infinitive.

Negation in Questions

In Danish, negative questions are formed by adding ikke after the subject, just as in statements, but the verb comes first due to inversion.

Taler du ikke engelsk? Don’t you speak English?
Kommer han ikke i aften? Isn’t he coming tonight?
Kan du ikke hjælpe mig? Can’t you help me?

Negative questions are often used to show surprise or to confirm information.

Other Negative Words

Besides ikke, Danish uses several other words for negation or to express absence, restriction, or opposition.

ingen – no one / none (used with common gender nouns)
intet – nothing (used with neuter nouns or abstract ideas)
ingen gang – not even
aldrig – never
hverken… eller – neither… nor

Examples:
Jeg har ingen penge I have no money
Der er intet problem There is no problem
Jeg ser ham aldrig I never see him
Hun spiser hverken kød eller fisk She eats neither meat nor fish

Negation with Time and Frequency

When used with adverbs of time, ikke usually precedes the adverb to emphasize negation.

Jeg kommer ikke i dag I’m not coming today
Han arbejder ikke længere her He no longer works here
Vi tager ikke altid bilen We don’t always take the car

Double Negatives

Unlike some languages, Danish does not use double negatives to reinforce a statement. If you say ikke and ingen together, the meaning remains negative, not positive.

Jeg har ikke ingen penge means literally I don’t have no money, which in Danish still means I have no money. However, this construction sounds clumsy, so native speakers avoid it. Correct would be simply:
Jeg har ingen penge I have no money.

Polite or Softened Negation

Negation can sound blunt in Danish, especially in requests. To soften it, speakers often add words like måske (maybe), lige (just), or desværre (unfortunately).

Jeg tror ikke, jeg kan komme I don’t think I can come
Vi kan desværre ikke hjælpe dig Unfortunately, we can’t help you
Måske skal vi ikke tage af sted endnu Maybe we shouldn’t leave yet

This politeness strategy is especially common in professional and social contexts.

Word Order in Subordinate Clauses

In subordinate clauses introduced by words like at, fordi, or hvis, the position of ikke changes—it comes before the verb instead of after it.

Jeg tror, at han ikke kommer I think that he isn’t coming
Hun sagde, at hun ikke havde tid She said that she didn’t have time
Hvis du ikke spiser, bliver du sulten If you don’t eat, you’ll get hungry

This reversal follows the Danish V2 rule, where the main verb in subordinate clauses appears later in the sentence.

Modal Verbs in Danish

Modal verbs, or modale hjælpeverber, are auxiliary verbs that express ability, necessity, permission, intention, obligation, or possibility. They modify the meaning of the main verb and are among the most frequently used words in Danish. Understanding modal verbs is essential for expressing attitude, politeness, and nuance—things like can, must, may, or want to.

In Danish, the most common modal verbs are kan, skal, vil, må, bør, and turde. Each one is followed by the infinitive form of the main verb without the infinitive marker at. This is one of the key grammatical rules learners must remember.

The Most Common Modal Verbs

kan – can / be able to
skal – shall / must / supposed to
vil – will / want to / intend to
må – may / must / be allowed to
bør – should / ought to
turde – dare to

Each of these verbs changes slightly in meaning depending on context, tone, and combination with other verbs.

“Kan” – Ability and Possibility

Kan expresses both ability (what someone is capable of doing) and possibility (what is allowed or can happen).

Jeg kan svømme I can swim
Han kan tale fransk He can speak French
Vi kan mødes i morgen We can meet tomorrow

For possibility:
Det kan regne i aften It might rain tonight
Du kan købe billetter online You can buy tickets online

Negation and questions follow normal rules:
Jeg kan ikke se dig I can’t see you
Kan du hjælpe mig? Can you help me?

“Skal” – Obligation, Intention, or Arrangement

Skal is a versatile modal verb that can mean must, shall, or be supposed to, depending on context. It indicates duty, necessity, or something already planned.

Jeg skal arbejde i morgen I have to work tomorrow
Du skal gøre dine lektier You must do your homework
Vi skal mødes klokken otte We’re meeting at eight o’clock

It can also describe the future when something has been arranged:
De skal rejse til Sverige næste uge They are going to travel to Sweden next week

In questions, skal often expresses polite offers or invitations:
Skal vi tage en kop kaffe? Shall we have a cup of coffee?

“Vil” – Willingness, Intention, or Future

Vil expresses intention, desire, or future action. It corresponds to will or want to in English.

Jeg vil lære dansk I want to learn Danish / I will learn Danish
Hun vil ikke vente She doesn’t want to wait
Vi vil rejse i sommerferien We will travel during the summer holiday

When combined with gerne, it becomes a polite expression of willingness:
Jeg vil gerne hjælpe dig I would like to help you
Vi vil gerne bestille bord We’d like to reserve a table

“Må” – Permission, Necessity, or Probability

Må is one of the most nuanced Danish modal verbs. It can express permission (may / be allowed to), necessity (must), or probability (might / must be).

For permission:
Du må gå nu You may go now
Må jeg låne din pen? May I borrow your pen?

For necessity or obligation (often in a moral sense):
Vi må hjælpe dem We must help them

For probability or assumption:
Han må være træt He must be tired
Det må have regnet i nat It must have rained last night

Context determines which meaning applies.

“Bør” – Moral Obligation or Recommendation

Bør means should or ought to. It expresses moral or reasonable expectation rather than strong necessity.

Du bør spise sundt You should eat healthily
Han bør sige undskyld He should apologize
De bør komme til tiden They ought to come on time

In polite or formal writing, bør sounds softer and more elegant than skal, which can feel like an order.

“Turde” – Courage or Risk

Turde means to dare. It is less common but adds expressive nuance.

Jeg tør ikke svømme her I don’t dare to swim here
Hun tør sige sin mening She dares to speak her mind
Tør du springe? Do you dare to jump?

In everyday Danish, turde often implies emotional courage or risk-taking rather than physical daring.

Modal Verbs with Infinitives

A modal verb is always followed by an infinitive without at.

✅ Jeg kan tale dansk I can speak Danish
❌ Jeg kan at tale dansk (incorrect)

This omission of at distinguishes modals from other verbs that require it:
Jeg begynder at lære dansk I am beginning to learn Danish

Negative and Interrogative Forms

Negation works exactly as in other tenses: place ikke after the modal verb.

Jeg kan ikke komme i morgen I can’t come tomorrow
Vi skal ikke tage toget We mustn’t take the train
Han vil ikke hjælpe He doesn’t want to help

Questions are formed by inverting the subject and the modal verb:
Kan du tale engelsk? Can you speak English?
Vil I med ud? Will you come out?
Må jeg spørge dig om noget? May I ask you something?

Combining Modal Verbs with Other Structures

Modal verbs frequently combine with other auxiliaries or time markers to express future or past possibility:

Jeg har kunnet se det I have been able to see it
Vi ville rejse, men det regnede We wanted to travel, but it rained
Han skal have gjort det i går He must have done it yesterday

These structures reflect subtle differences in time and probability, much like in English.

Conjunctions in Danish

Conjunctions, or bindeord in Danish, are the glue that holds sentences together. They connect words, phrases, and clauses, creating smooth, logical relationships between ideas. Without conjunctions, language would sound abrupt and disconnected. Danish conjunctions work much like their English counterparts, but they play a particularly important role in determining word order—especially in compound and complex sentences.

There are two main types of conjunctions in Danish: coordinating and subordinating. Coordinating conjunctions connect two equal elements, while subordinating conjunctions link a dependent (subordinate) clause to a main clause. Understanding the difference is crucial, because each type affects the position of the verb differently.

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions join two independent clauses or similar elements such as nouns, verbs, or adjectives. The most common ones are:

og – and
men – but
eller – or
for – for / because
så – so / then**

Examples:
Jeg taler dansk og engelsk I speak Danish and English
Hun er træt, men glad She is tired but happy
Vil du have te eller kaffe? Do you want tea or coffee?
Han kom ikke, for han var syg He didn’t come, because he was ill
Jeg spiste, så jeg var mæt I ate, so I was full

Coordinating conjunctions do not change word order. The verb stays in the second position in each clause, exactly as it would if the clause stood alone.

Jeg er træt, men jeg går på arbejde I am tired, but I’m going to work

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions introduce a dependent clause that cannot stand alone. These clauses often explain cause, time, condition, purpose, or contrast. In Danish, the subordinating conjunction forces the verb to move later in the clause, usually after the subject—unlike in the main clause.

Common subordinating conjunctions include:

at – that
fordi – because
hvis – if
når – when (repeated actions)
da – when (past events)
selvom – although / even though
mens – while
inden – before
efter at – after
siden – since
så at – so that

Examples:
Jeg tror, at han kommer senere I think that he is coming later
Hun blev hjemme, fordi hun var syg She stayed home because she was sick
Hvis det regner, bliver vi inde If it rains, we’ll stay inside
Når jeg er træt, drikker jeg kaffe When I’m tired, I drink coffee
Da jeg var barn, boede jeg i Odense When I was a child, I lived in Odense
Selvom det er koldt, går vi en tur Although it’s cold, we’re going for a walk

Notice the word order: in the subordinate clause, the verb comes after the subject (e.g. fordi hun var syg), while in the main clause it remains in the second position.

Word Order in Compound Sentences

Danish word order changes depending on whether the clause begins with a coordinating or subordinating conjunction.

• Coordinating conjunctions: the new clause starts fresh, with the verb in second position.

• Subordinating conjunctions: the verb moves after the subject.

Compare:
Jeg kommer, og jeg spiser I’m coming, and I’m eating (verb = second position)
Jeg spiser, fordi jeg er sulten I eat because I’m hungry (verb follows subject)

This distinction is vital for clarity and fluency.

Time and Conditional Clauses

Danish uses several conjunctions to mark time or condition.

når – for repeated or future events:
Jeg ringer, når jeg kommer hjem I’ll call when I get home

da – for one-time past events:
Da jeg så ham, smilede jeg When I saw him, I smiled

hvis – for conditional statements:
Hvis du har tid, kan vi mødes If you have time, we can meet

medmindre – unless:
Jeg tager af sted, medmindre det regner I’ll leave unless it rains

Cause and Effect

To express cause, purpose, and result, Danish uses conjunctions like fordi, da, så, and så at.

Jeg gik, fordi jeg var træt I left because I was tired
Han blev hjemme, da han var syg He stayed home because he was ill
Hun læste meget, så hun bestod eksamen She studied a lot, so she passed the exam
Han løb hurtigt, så at han nåede toget He ran fast so that he caught the train

While fordi and da both mean because, fordi is neutral and most common, while da is slightly more formal or literary.

Contrast and Concession

Conjunctions like men, selvom, and skønt introduce contrast or concession.

Hun er træt, men hun arbejder videre She’s tired, but she keeps working
Selvom det regner, går vi ud Even though it’s raining, we’re going out
Skønt han er ung, er han klog Although he is young, he is wise

Selvom is the most commonly used of these in modern Danish; skønt appears mainly in written or formal language.

Purpose and Consequence

To express purpose, Danish often uses for at (in order to) followed by an infinitive.

Jeg læser for at lære dansk I study in order to learn Danish
Hun løber for at holde sig sund She runs to stay healthy

For consequence, så and derfor are typical:
Det regnede, så vi blev hjemme It rained, so we stayed home
Hun var sulten, derfor spiste hun meget She was hungry; therefore, she ate a lot

Paired and Correlative Conjunctions

Danish uses pairs of conjunctions to connect ideas in balance or contrast.

både… og – both… and
enten… eller – either… or
hverken… eller – neither… nor

Examples:
Hun taler både dansk og norsk She speaks both Danish and Norwegian
Vi kan enten tage toget eller bilen We can either take the train or the car
Han spiser hverken kød eller fisk He eats neither meat nor fish

These paired conjunctions create elegant, symmetrical sentences that are common in both spoken and written Danish.

Word Order in Danish

Word order, or ordstilling, is one of the defining features of Danish grammar. Because Danish has lost most of its case endings, meaning is conveyed primarily through syntax—the position of words in a sentence. The Danish language follows a fairly strict system known as the V2 rule (verb-second rule), which means the main verb always comes in the second position in a main clause, no matter what element comes first.

Mastering Danish word order is essential for clear communication. It gives rhythm and structure to the language, ensuring that even simple sentences sound natural and precise.

The Basic Sentence Structure

The basic structure of a Danish main clause is:

Subject – Verb – Object – Adverbials

Jeg spiser æbler hver dag
I eat apples every day

Vi læser en bog i aften
We are reading a book tonight

Hun skriver et brev til sin ven
She writes a letter to her friend

This simple order (called SVO) works just like English, but it becomes more flexible when other elements are moved to the front for emphasis.

The V2 Rule

In main clauses, the verb must always be the second element—even if something other than the subject comes first. This rule is absolutely central to Danish sentence structure.

I dag spiser jeg æbler
Today I eat apples

Here, i dag (today) comes first, so the verb spiser moves to second place, and the subject jeg moves after it.

Other examples:
Nu kommer han Now he is coming
Måske tager vi toget Maybe we’ll take the train
Om aftenen ser de fjernsyn In the evening they watch television

The rule applies to all main clauses, regardless of what the first word or phrase is.

Word Order in Questions

In questions, Danish also follows the V2 principle, but the subject and verb are inverted.

Taler du engelsk? Do you speak English?
Kommer han i morgen? Is he coming tomorrow?
Har de set filmen? Have they seen the movie?

When a question word (like hvad, hvornår, hvor) begins the sentence, it counts as the first element, so the verb still remains second.

Hvad laver du? What are you doing?
Hvornår rejser I? When are you leaving?
Hvor bor hun? Where does she live?

Word Order in Subordinate Clauses

Subordinate clauses (introduced by fordi, at, hvis, når, etc.) follow a different order: the verb comes after the subject, not in the second position.

Jeg ved, at han kommer i dag I know that he is coming today
Hun bliver hjemme, fordi hun er syg She stays home because she is sick
Hvis du har tid, kan vi mødes If you have time, we can meet

This reversal is one of the most important differences between main and subordinate clauses.

Main clause: Han kommer i dag He is coming today
Subordinate clause: …at han kommer i dag …that he is coming today

Adverb Placement

Adverbs such as ikke, aldrig, ofte, kun, and altid typically appear after the verb in main clauses but before the main verb when auxiliaries are present.

Jeg taler ikke fransk I don’t speak French
Vi har aldrig været der We have never been there
Hun kan kun spise ris She can only eat rice
Jeg arbejder altid om morgenen I always work in the morning

In subordinate clauses, the adverb moves before the verb:
Jeg tror, at han ikke forstår det I think that he doesn’t understand it

Time–Manner–Place Rule

When several adverbials occur in a sentence, Danish prefers the order time – manner – place. This sequence sounds the most natural to native speakers.

Jeg arbejder hver dag flittigt på kontoret
I work diligently every day at the office

Vi spiser altid sammen hjemme
We always eat together at home

If you change the order, the meaning stays the same, but the rhythm may sound unnatural.

Emphasis by Inversion

Danish allows flexibility for emphasis. By moving a word or phrase to the front of the sentence, you shift focus—but remember that the verb still must come second.

Han elsker virkelig kaffe He really loves coffee
Virkelig kaffe elsker han Coffee is what he really loves

This kind of inversion emphasizes kaffe rather than han. It’s common in storytelling and speech for stylistic variation.

Word Order with Multiple Verbs

When there are two verbs (an auxiliary and a main verb), they stay together but in a fixed order: the auxiliary comes first.

Jeg har købt bilen I have bought the car
Hun vil rejse i morgen She will travel tomorrow
Vi skal arbejde i dag We must work today

In subordinate clauses, both verbs move to the end, maintaining their order:
Jeg ved, at hun vil rejse i morgen I know that she will travel tomorrow

Imperative Sentences

In commands, the verb naturally comes first:
Kom her! Come here!
Vent lidt! Wait a moment!
Sæt dig ned! Sit down!

No subject is necessary unless you need to emphasize it.

Negation and Word Order

Negation with ikke follows the same placement rule:

• After the verb in main clauses

• Before the verb in subordinate clauses

Jeg forstår ikke spørgsmålet I don’t understand the question
Hun sagde, at hun ikke forstod spørgsmålet She said that she didn’t understand the question

This shifting pattern—main clause vs. subordinate clause—is central to correct Danish syntax.

Typical Sentence Patterns

Here are some standard sentence structures to remember:

1. Main clause:
   Jeg læser bogen nu I am reading the book now

2. Main clause with inversion:
   Nu læser jeg bogen Now I am reading the book

3. Question:
   Læser du bogen? Are you reading the book?

4. Subordinate clause:
   Jeg ved, at du læser bogen I know that you are reading the book

Once you internalize these models, word order becomes intuitive.

Questions in Danish

Questions, or spørgsmål, are an essential part of Danish conversation. They allow speakers to ask for information, clarification, or confirmation in a precise and often minimalistic way. Danish question formation follows logical patterns that revolve around word order and intonation. There are two main types of questions: yes/no questions and wh-questions (also called information questions). Both depend on the strict syntax rules of Danish, especially the V2 rule—the position of the verb.

Yes/No Questions

Yes/no questions are the simplest to form. In Danish, they are created by inverting the subject and the verb of a regular statement. In other words, the verb comes first, followed by the subject and the rest of the sentence.

Statement: Du taler dansk You speak Danish
Question: Taler du dansk? Do you speak Danish?

Examples:
Er du træt? Are you tired?
Kommer han i morgen? Is he coming tomorrow?
Har du set filmen? Have you seen the movie?
Skal vi tage toget? Shall we take the train?
Vil de spise her? Will they eat here?

The word order rule is consistent:
Verb – Subject – (Object/Adverbials)

In spoken Danish, rising intonation at the end of the question signals that it is indeed a question.

Short Answers to Yes/No Questions

Danish short answers use ja (yes) and nej (no). However, there is an additional word—jo—used to contradict a negative question or statement.

Examples:
Kommer du i morgen? Are you coming tomorrow?
Ja, det gør jeg Yes, I am
Nej, det gør jeg ikke No, I’m not

For negative questions:
Kommer du ikke i morgen? Aren’t you coming tomorrow?
Jo, det gør jeg Yes, I am (contradicting the negative)

Jo thus serves to affirm something despite a negative question, a nuance that’s very common in Danish conversation.

Wh-Questions (Information Questions)

Wh-questions (called spørgende sætninger) begin with a question word such as what, who, where, when, why, or how. In Danish, these words usually begin with hv-. After the question word, the verb comes next (again, the V2 rule), followed by the subject and then the rest of the sentence.

Common question words:

Hvad – what
Hvem – who
Hvor – where
Hvornår – when
Hvorfor – why
Hvordan – how
Hvilken / hvilket / hvilke – which (common / neuter / plural)

Examples:
Hvad laver du? What are you doing?
Hvem kommer i aften? Who is coming tonight?
Hvor bor du? Where do you live?
Hvornår rejser I? When are you leaving?
Hvorfor græder barnet? Why is the child crying?
Hvordan går det? How are you?

Notice the pattern:
Question word – Verb – Subject – Object/Adverbials

This structure remains stable across all main clauses.

Questions with Prepositions

When the question involves a preposition, Danish allows two word orders:

1. The preposition stays with the verb (formal/written style).

2. The preposition moves to the end of the clause (spoken style).

Med hvem taler du? With whom are you speaking? (formal)
Hvem taler du med? Who are you speaking with? (everyday Danish)

The second version sounds far more natural in modern Danish speech. The preposition always moves to the end unless the tone is very formal.

Other examples:
Hvad tænker du på? What are you thinking about?
Hvilket tog rejser vi med? Which train are we traveling with?

Question Word + Modal Verb

When a question includes a modal verb, the structure remains the same—verb second, subject next, and the main verb last.

Hvad kan du lide? What can you like / What do you like?
Hvor skal vi spise? Where shall we eat?
Hvornår vil du komme? When will you come?
Hvordan må jeg gøre det? How may I do that?

Negation fits naturally between the modal and the infinitive:
Hvorfor kan du ikke sove? Why can’t you sleep?
Hvornår vil du ikke rejse? When will you not travel?

Indirect Questions

Indirect questions are embedded within a statement or another question. They begin with a subordinating conjunction (usually om or a question word) and follow subordinate clause word order, where the verb comes after the subject.

Jeg ved ikke, om han kommer I don’t know if he’s coming
Kan du sige mig, hvor han bor? Can you tell me where he lives?
Hun spurgte, hvad jeg lavede She asked what I was doing

Here, om means if/whether. Note the word order shift: the verb no longer comes second but follows the subject (han kommer, han bor).

Politeness in Questions

Danish questions can sound too direct if phrased without softeners. To sound polite, speakers often add må jeg, kan du, or vil du være sød at (would you be kind enough to).

Må jeg spørge dig om noget? May I ask you something?
Kan du hjælpe mig? Can you help me?
Vil du være sød at åbne vinduet? Would you be kind enough to open the window?

These expressions are vital for polite interaction in Danish society, which values respect and understated communication.

Tag Questions

Tag questions confirm or seek agreement, similar to isn’t it? or don’t you? in English. Danish often uses ikke? at the end of a sentence for this purpose.

Du kommer i morgen, ikke? You’re coming tomorrow, aren’t you?
Han er læge, ikke? He’s a doctor, isn’t he?

The intonation rises slightly at the end, signaling a request for confirmation.

Summary

Danish question formation is clear and consistent once the verb-second rule is mastered.

• Yes/no questions invert the verb and subject: Taler du dansk?

• Wh-questions place the question word first, then the verb: Hvor bor du?

• Indirect questions use subordinate word order: Jeg ved, om han kommer.

From Er du træt? Are you tired? to Hvorfor arbejder du så meget? Why do you work so much?, these structures form the backbone of Danish interaction. They reflect the language’s precision, simplicity, and preference for clarity—an essential skill for anyone seeking fluency in spoken or written Danish.

Relative Clauses in Danish

Relative clauses, or henførende sætninger, are dependent clauses that describe or give more information about a noun in the main clause. They work exactly like English who, which, and that clauses. In Danish, relative clauses make speech and writing more fluid by connecting ideas naturally and avoiding repetition.

For learners, the challenge lies not in forming them but in understanding how word order and relative pronouns behave within them. Danish has a compact, elegant system for this, centered on the relative pronouns som, der, and hvilken (and its forms).

The Function of Relative Clauses

A relative clause provides extra information about a noun—called the antecedent—and is usually placed immediately after it.

Manden, som bor der, er læge
The man who lives there is a doctor

Here, the relative clause som bor der gives additional information about manden. The sentence could stand without it (Manden er læge), but it would be less specific.

Relative clauses can be defining (essential information) or non-defining (additional, non-essential information).

• Defining: Bogen, som ligger på bordet, er min The book that lies on the table is mine

• Non-defining: Min bror, som bor i Odense, er lærer My brother, who lives in Odense, is a teacher

In writing, commas separate non-defining clauses but are often omitted in speech.

The Relative Pronouns: “som” and “der”

Danish mainly uses som and der as relative pronouns, and they are much simpler than their English equivalents (who, which, that, whom).

som is the most common and versatile pronoun. It can refer to both people and things, and it can function as the subject, object, or complement of the relative clause.

Manden, som taler, er min far The man who is speaking is my father
Bogen, som jeg læser, er interessant The book that I’m reading is interesting

der also means who / that, but it can only be used as the subject of the clause, not as an object.

Manden, der taler, er min lærer The man who is speaking is my teacher
Børnene, der leger, er glade The children who are playing are happy

You cannot use der when the noun functions as the object of the verb in the relative clause. For that, som must be used.

Compare:
Kvinden, som jeg kender, er læge The woman whom I know is a doctor
Kvinden, der jeg kender, er læge (incorrect)

In short:

• som = who, which, that (subject or object)

• der = who, which, that (subject only)

Omission of “som”

When som functions as an object, it can sometimes be omitted in informal Danish, just like that in English.

Bogen, (som) jeg læser, er god The book (that) I’m reading is good
Filmen, (som) vi så i går, var sjov The movie (that) we saw yesterday was funny

However, som cannot be omitted when it serves as the subject:
Manden, som bor der, er læge The man who lives there is a doctor (must include som)

Word Order in Relative Clauses

Relative clauses follow the same structure as other subordinate clauses: subject – verb – object – adverbials (not the V2 order of main clauses).

Main clause: Han bor i København He lives in Copenhagen
Relative clause: …som bor i København …who lives in Copenhagen

More examples:
Jeg kender en pige, som taler svensk I know a girl who speaks Swedish
Det er den restaurant, som vi besøgte i går That’s the restaurant that we visited yesterday
De fandt bilen, der var stjålet They found the car that was stolen

In each case, the verb follows the subject rather than appearing second, marking the clause as subordinate.

Relative Clauses with “hvilken / hvilket / hvilke”

In formal Danish, especially in writing, the pronoun hvilken (which) and its forms (hvilket, hvilke) can also introduce a relative clause. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it refers to.

Han fik et brev, hvilket overraskede ham He received a letter, which surprised him
Hun købte en bil, hvilken var meget dyr She bought a car, which was very expensive

This structure sounds elegant and formal, often used in written Danish (academic, legal, or journalistic). In everyday speech, som or der is almost always preferred.

Prepositions in Relative Clauses

When a relative clause involves a preposition, Danish allows two constructions:

1. The preposition can stand in front of som or der (formal).

2. The preposition can move to the end of the clause (informal and more common).

Det er huset, i hvilket jeg bor That is the house in which I live (formal)
Det er huset, jeg bor i That is the house I live in (natural, everyday Danish)

Similarly:
Manden, jeg talte med, er min nabo The man I spoke with is my neighbor
Den person, som jeg skrev til, svarede ikke The person I wrote to didn’t reply

Most Danes prefer the preposition at the end for smoother, conversational rhythm.

Possession in Relative Clauses

Danish expresses possession in relative clauses using hvis, equivalent to whose.

Jeg kender en mand, hvis bil er rød I know a man whose car is red
De fandt kvinden, hvis taske var stjålet They found the woman whose bag was stolen

Hvis is followed by the possessed noun and does not change form.

Non-defining Clauses and Commas

Non-defining relative clauses (those that add extra information) are usually set off by commas in writing.

Min søster, som bor i Aalborg, studerer medicin My sister, who lives in Aalborg, studies medicine

In speech, the pause or tone indicates the separation rather than punctuation.

Ambiguity and Clarity

When both der and som could theoretically fit, Danish tends to prefer der for subjects and som for objects. The choice often depends on euphony (what sounds better). Both are grammatically correct but may carry a slightly different tone.

Kvinden, der synger, er berømt The woman who is singing is famous
Kvinden, som jeg hørte, er berømt The woman whom I heard is famous

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With a one-time purchase you will also get hours of Podcasts to Practice your Danish listening skills as well as Dialogues with Exercises to achieve your own Master Certificate.

Start speaking Danish today!