[INDEX]

ADVERBS

 
General: Adverbs can qualify different words:
         
             a. a verb:             hun synger smukt (she sings beautifully)
             b. an adjective:     han er meget stor (he is very big)
             c. another adverb:  hun synger ganske smukt (she sings quite beautifully)
             d. a sentence:      selvfølgelig ville han komme (of course he would come)
         

Types:    There are more types of adverbs:
         
             a. adverbs made of an adjective + t:    smuk/smukt (beautiful/beautifully)
             b. true adverbs (can not be changed):  ikke/aldrig/kun (not/never/only)
             c. prepositions without a regimen:        han tog hatten (he took his hat on)
         


Comparison:  
         
              Some adverbs can be compared (irregular comparion):

              base form     comparative      superlative
              ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              godt            bedre             bedst (well/better/best)
              længe          længere          længst (long time/longer/longest)
              gerne           hellere              helst  (are not found in English)
         
              jeg vil gerne komme (I should like to come)
         
  
       
Two-form adverbs:
         
          Adverbs describing a direction have long and short forms:

                 ind/inde (in), ud/ude (out), op/oppe (up), ned/nede (down)
         

          1. Short forms describe a movement from one place to another:

                 han går ind i haven      (he goes into the garden)
                                                   (German: er geht in den Garden)
                 han kravler op i træet (he climbs up into the tree)
                                                  (er klettert auf den Baum)

                    
          2. Long forms describe a movement within the same place:

                 han går inde i haven   (he walks inside the garden)
                                                  (German: er geht im Garden)
                 han er oppe i træet    (he is up on the tree)
                                                  (German: er ist im Baum)
         
   
   

   

[INDEX]

PREPOSITIONS

         

                          
General:   Prepositions are always used with a regimen (noun, pronoun or infinitive).
                If they have no regimen (standing alone) they are adverbs:

                 han tog hatten på hovedet     (he put his hat on his head):  preposition
                 han tog hatten                  (he put his hat on):               adverb
         

            i (in/at/to/for)
         
              a. place (town, country, street):

                 han bor i København/Danmark (he lives in Copenhagen/Denmark)
                 de bor i Nørregade                  (they live at North Street)
                 han går i skole                         (he goes to school)   
                 jeg går i seng nu                       (I go to bed now)
         

              b. time (clock, how long time?)

                 den er 10 minutter i 5              (it's ten to five)
                 jeg har boet her i 2 år              (I have lived here for 2 years) how long time?

         
              c. special expressions:

                 han lukkede døren (i):              (he closed the door)
                 jeg underviser i dansk:             (I teach Danish)
                 hun er forelsket i ham:              (she is in love with him)

         
            (on/upon/in/at/of)
         
              a. place (island, road):

                 de bor Sjælland                (they live in Seeland)
                 han bor Nyvej                  (he lives at New Road)
                 jeg bor landet                   (I live in the country (not town))
                 bogen er bordet                  (the book is on the table)

         
              b. time (day, how fast?):

                 jeg rejser mandag            (I shall leave on Monday)
                 han gjorde det en time     (he did it in one hour (how fast?)) how fast?

         
              c. genitive:

                 farven bilen (=bilens farve) (the colour of the car)

         
            til (to/until)
         
              a. place:

                 jeg rejser til Danmark          (I shall go to Denmark)

         
              b. time:

                 banken er åben til kl. 17      (the bank is open until 5 PM)

         
              c. dative:

                 jeg giver bogen til ham        (I am giving the book to him)
                 (= jeg giver ham bogen        (I am giving him the book))
         
         
            af (of/by)

                 ringen er lavet af guld         (the ring is made of gold)
                 ringen er lavet af manden   (the ring is made by the man)  passive voice


            efter (after)

            for....siden (ago)

                 han kom for en time siden  (he came an hour ago)


            fra (from)

            med (with)

            om, rundt om (round/in, when?)

                 hun har en halskæde om halsen (she has a necklace round her neck)
                 jeg kommer om en time            (I shall come in an hour) when?


            over (over/past/cross)

                 han gik over gaden                  (he crossed the street)
                 den er 10 minutter over 4        (it's 10 minutes past 4)


            under (under/below/during)

                 hunden ligger under bordet           (the dog is under the table)
                 temperaturen er under 0 grader      (the temperature is below 0 degrees)
                 han var her under krigen              (he was here during the war)
         
         




[INDEX]

CONJUNCTIONS

         
         
        Conjunctions connect words, elements and clauses.
         
        1. Co-ordinating Conjunctions:  og/eller/men (and/or/but)

              drengen og pigen  (the boy and the girl)
         

        2. Subordinating Conjunctions:

           are always the first word in a subordinate clause:
             
           at (that)

              han sagde, at han var syg  (he said that he was ill)
         

           om (if/whether)

              jeg ved ikke, om han kommer  (I don't know if he will come)
         

           når (when)

              present tense:                han kommer, når han kan      (he comes when he can)
              future tense:                  jeg går, når det er tiden         (I shall go when it's time)
              past tense (every time): han spiste, når han var sulten (he always ate when he was hungry)
         
           da (when)
              past tense (once):          han spiste, da han var sulten  (he ate when/because he was hungry) 
                  
 


[INDEX]

IMPERATIVE

                 
                
             The imperative is always the base form of a verb:

             din vej!     (go away!)
             jeres vej!      (go away!)
             spis din mad! (eat your food!)
             sov godt!       (sleep well!)
         
       



 
 

[INDEX]

FORMAL SUBJECTS

                        
         
         
        The first subject (det/der) in a clause always refers to the real subject
         
        1. "det" (it):

           a. When the real subject is an infinitive/phrase:

                   det er godt at være her (it is good to be here)


           b. When the real subject is a subordinate clause:

                   det er godt, at han kan gøre det (it is good that he can do so)

           c. As an impersonal subject:

                det regner/sner/blæser (it is raining/snowing/windy)

           d. when the complement is a noun, or possessive pronoun in plural::

                det er mine venner (they are my friends)
                det er også dine     (they are also yours)

                but: de er store      (they are big) (the complement is an adjective)

           e. The personal pronoun can also be used if the complement is a noun in singular:

                det/han er min ven (it/he is my friend) 





         
        2. "der" (there):

           a. When referring to an adverbial (as in English):

                   der er 2 drenge her i huset (there are 2 boys in this house)


           b. When referring to an infinite amount (as in English):

                   der er mange folk her (there are many people here)


           c. As a subject in a passive clause:

                   der sås mange folk på gaden (many people were seen in the street)
                   (=man så mange folk på gaden)

           d. expresions concerning distance (English "it"):

                   der er langt til America (it is a long way to America)
              
               
 



[INDEX]

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

                        
         
         
            Yes = ja/jo. 

When you ask with a negative question, the positive answer is "jo"
Qustions Positive answers Negative answers
kender du ham?
(do you know him?)
ja, jeg gør
(yes, I do)
nej, jeg gør ikke
(no, I don't)
kender du ham ikke?
(don't you know him?)
jo, jeg gør
(yes, I do)
nej, jeg gør ikke
(no, I don't)
du kender ham ikke?
(you know him, don't you?)
jo, jeg gør
(yes, I do)
nej, jeg gør ikke
(no, I don't)

Note:   The finite verb can be repeated in the answer if it is a modal verb or an auxiliary verb (have/be),
               otherwise the answer is followed by a form of "gøre" as in English:

            kender du ham?                 ja, jeg gør      (do you know him?  yes, I do)
            kendte du ham?                  ja,  jeg gjorde (did you know him? yes, I did)
            kan du kende ham?             ja, jeg kan     (can you recognize him? yes, I can)
            har du kendt ham?              ja, jeg har      (have you known him? yes, I have)
            har du kunnet kende ham?  ja, jeg har        (have you been able to recognize him? yes, I have)
            vil du kunne kende ham?      ja, jeg vil       (vil you be able to recognize him? yes, I will)
             




[INDEX]

WORD ORDER

         
                  
        1. Normal Word Order (subject + verb)
         
           a. In a main clause beginning with the subject:
              jeg kan se en bil på gaden (I can see a car in the street)

           b. In a main clause beginning with a conjuncion og/men:
             men jeg kan ikke se ham (but I cannot see him)
        
           c. Always in subordinate clauses:
              jeg vidste, at han ville komme (I knew that he would come)
         
         
        2. Inversion (verb + subject or finite verb + subject + infinite verb)
            only occurs in main clauses

Main rule: If the subject is not the first word in a main clause, 
                  there will be an inversion

         
           a. In questions:
              kommer du i morgen? (will you come tomorrow?)
         
           b. If an adverb/phrase, object or conjunction claus precedes the subject:
         
               an adverb precedes the subject: 
               nu kommer jeg     (now I am coming) 
               but: jeg kommer nu (now I am coming) adverb after subject
         
              an adverb phrase precedes the subject:
              i morges stod jeg tidligt op (this morning I got up early)
         
              an object (for emphasising) precedes the subject:
              drengen kender jeg ikke     (I don't know the boy)
              but:  jeg kender ikke drengen  (I don't know the boy)      
         
              if a subordinate clause comes before the main clause:          
              hvis jeg havde penge, ville jeg købe en bil (if I had money, I would buy a car)
              (jeg ville købe en bil, hvis jeg havde penge)
              
         
 


 

[INDEX]

POSITION OF SMALL ADVERBS

       
       Small adverbs are:

        ikke, aldrig, altid, kun, snart, gerne     
        (not, never, always, only, soon, "should like")
        
 
        A. The position of the small adverbs in subordinate clauses is always after the subject  
           SAV (subject+adverb+finite verb):

           han siger, at han ikke kommer (he says that he does not come)
                               S      A      V
         
           han siger, at han ikke vil komme (he says that he will not come)
                               S     A    V
         
           han har en bog, som han aldrig har læst (he has a book that he has never read)
                                             S     A      V 
         

        B. Position of small adverbs in main clauses is  
         
           1. Normal word order (the adverb is after the finite verb):
              SVA (subject+verb+adverb) or
              S V1 A V2 object(subject+finite+adverb+infinte verb+object)

  
               a. if there is no object
                  or the object is a substantive (phrase)
                  or the verb consists of 2 words:

              
                  han kommer ikke (he does not come)                           (no object)
 
                  jeg  kender ikke manden (I do not know the man)        (the object is a noun)
                   S       V        A

                  jeg har ikke kendt manden (I have not known the man) (the verb is 2 words: har--kendt)
                  jeg har ikke kendt ham    (I have not known him)          (the verb is  2 words: har--kendt)
                   S   V1   A    V2

              b. One important exception:
                  if   the object(s) are pronouns  
                       and the verb is only 1 word  
                  then the adverb is placed after the object pronoun (S V object(s) A):

         
                  jeg kender ham ikke       (I do not know him)
                   S     V        O     A
                  jeg giver ham den ikke     (I do not give it to him)
                   S    V     Oi    Od  A

                  jeg giver ham ikke bogen (I do not give him the book)
                   S    V      Oi     A     Od


           2. Inversion
              VSA (verb+subject+adverb) or
              V1 S A V2(finite verb+subject+adverb+infinite verb)

         
              i morgen kommer jeg ikke (tomorrow I shall not come)
                                V        S   A 
         
              i morgen vil jeg ikke komme (tomorrow I shall not come)
                           V1   S   A     V2

              i Kolding har jeg aldrig været (I have never been in Kolding)
                             V1   S    A      V2
                  
         
 



[INDEX]

CONSTRUCTION OF SENTENCES

             
         
 

MAIN CLAUSES

No. Conjuncion Subject
Object
Predicative
Adv.phrase
Interrog.word
Finite
Verb
Subject Small
adverb
Infinite
Verb
Object
Predicat.
Adverb
or
Phrase
1   jeg kender       ham ikke
2 men jeg kender   ikke   manden i huset
3   jeg har   ikke set ham i lang tid
4   ham har jeg aldrig set   her
5 og stor er han også blevet    
6   i dag kommer hun       kl. 5
7     kommer hun ikke     med bussen?
8   hvis hun kommer   bliver jeg   glad  
9   hvem   er pigen     i huset?
10   hvor   har du været   henne?

                 
1. jeg kender ham ikke (I do not know him)
2. men jeg kender ikke manden i huset (but I do not know the man in the house)
3. jeg har ikke set ham i lang tid (I have not seen him for a long time)
4. ham har jeg aldrig set (I have never seen him)
5. og stor er han også blevet (and he has also grown tall)
6. i dag kommer hun kl. 5 (today she will come at 5 o'clock)
7. kommer hun ikke med bussen? (does she not come by bus?)
8. hvis hun kommer, bliver jeg glad (if she comes I shall be glad) 
9. hvem er pigen i huset? (who is the girl in the house?)
10. hvor har du været henne (where have you been?)





[INDEX]
SUBORDINATE CLAUSES

No. Conjuncion Subject Small
adverb
Finite
Verb
Infinite
Verb
Object
Predicat.
Adverb
or
Phrase
1 at han ikke kan komme   idag
2 som jeg aldrig har set   før
3 der   ikke er gået   endnu
4 om hun   kender   ham mere
5 hvis jeg ikke møder   hende igen
6 hvornår jeg   ser   dig igen

                
1. ...at han ikke kan komme idag (...that he cannot come today)
2. ...som jeg aldrig har set før (...who I have never seen before)
3. ...der ikke er gået endnu (...who has not gone yet)
4. ...om hun kender ham mere (...whether she knows him anymore)
5. ...hvis jeg ikke møder hende igen (...if I do not meet her again)
6. ...hvorår jeg ser dig igen (...when I shall see you again)