A1 Danish GrammarBasic Questions
Learn to form yes/no questions and use Danish question words (hv-words). Master hvem, hvad, hvor, hvornår, hvorfor, and hvordan to ask about people, things, places, time, reasons, and methods in everyday Danish conversations.
1Yes/No Questions
In Danish, yes/no questions are formed by placing the verb before the subject (inversion). This is different from statements where the subject comes first. The answer uses 'ja' (yes) or 'nej' (no). Danish is a V2 language, so the verb always comes second in statements, but first in questions.
Statement vs. Question
| Type | Danish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Statement | Du taler dansk. | You speak Danish. |
| Question | Taler du dansk? | Do you speak Danish? |
| Statement | Han er lærer. | He is a teacher. |
| Question | Er han lærer? | Is he a teacher? |
Examples
Kommer du fra Danmark?
Do you come from Denmark?
Verb 'kommer' before subject 'du'
Er du sulten?
Are you hungry?
Verb 'er' before subject 'du'
Kan du hjælpe mig?
Can you help me?
Modal verb 'kan' comes first
Har du tid?
Do you have time?
Verb 'har' before subject 'du'
2Question Words (Hv-words)
Danish question words all start with 'hv-' (similar to English 'wh-'). These words go at the beginning of the question, followed by the verb, then the subject. The most common are hvem (who), hvad (what), hvor (where), hvornår (when), hvorfor (why), and hvordan (how).
Danish Question Words
| Danish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hvem | who | Hvem er du? |
| hvad | what | Hvad hedder du? |
| hvor | where | Hvor bor du? |
| hvornår | when | Hvornår kommer du? |
| hvorfor | why | Hvorfor græder du? |
| hvordan | how | Hvordan har du det? |
Examples
Hvem er din lærer?
Who is your teacher?
'hvem' for asking about people
Hvad laver du?
What are you doing?
'hvad' for asking about things/actions
Hvor kommer du fra?
Where do you come from?
'hvor' for asking about places
Hvornår begynder filmen?
When does the movie start?
'hvornår' for asking about time
3Compound Question Words
Danish creates compound question words by combining 'hvor' with other words. 'Hvor mange' (how many) and 'hvor meget' (how much) ask about quantity. 'Hvor gammel' (how old), 'hvor lang' (how long), and 'hvor stor' (how big) ask about measurements.
Compound Question Words
| Danish | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| hvor mange | how many | countable nouns |
| hvor meget | how much | uncountable nouns |
| hvor gammel | how old | age |
| hvor lang | how long | length/duration |
Examples
Hvor mange børn har du?
How many children do you have?
'hvor mange' for countable things
Hvor meget koster det?
How much does it cost?
'hvor meget' for price/amount
Hvor gammel er du?
How old are you?
'hvor gammel' for asking age
Hvor lang tid tager det?
How long does it take?
'hvor lang tid' for duration
4Question Word Order
In questions with question words, the word order is: question word + verb + subject + rest. In yes/no questions, it's: verb + subject + rest. When using question words, Danish maintains V2 order with the question word in first position.
Question Word Order Patterns
| Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/No | V + S + O | Spiser du fisk? |
| Hv-question | Hv + V + S + O | Hvad spiser du? |
| With modal | Hv + Modal + S + V | Hvor kan jeg købe...? |
| With adverb | Hv + V + S + Adv | Hvornår kommer du hjem? |
Examples
Hvilken farve kan du lide?
Which color do you like?
'hvilken' (which) + verb + subject
Hvor kan jeg finde toilettet?
Where can I find the toilet?
Question word + modal + subject + verb
Hvorfor lærer du dansk?
Why are you learning Danish?
Question word + verb + subject + object
Hvad tid er det?
What time is it?
'hvad tid' = what time (common phrase)