A1 Danish GrammarBasic Word Order
Learn the fundamental sentence structure in Danish. Master the V2 rule where the verb must be the second element in main clauses - essential for building correct Danish sentences.
1The V2 Rule: Verb Second
Danish follows the V2 (verb second) rule: the finite verb must always be the SECOND element in a statement. The first position can be filled by subject, adverb, or other element - but verb always comes second.
V2 Rule Examples
| Position 1 | Position 2 (Verb) | Rest | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeg | læser | en bog | I read a book |
| I dag | læser | jeg en bog | Today I read a book |
| En bog | læser | jeg i dag | A book I read today |
Verb is ALWAYS in position 2
Examples
Jeg arbejder hver dag.
I work every day.
Subject first, verb second
Hver dag arbejder jeg.
Every day I work.
Adverb first causes inversion
I går var jeg syg.
Yesterday I was sick.
Time word first
Kaffe drikker jeg aldrig.
Coffee I never drink.
Object first for emphasis
2Subject-Verb-Object (SVO)
The most common word order is Subject-Verb-Object, just like English. This is the neutral pattern for simple statements.
SVO Pattern
| Subject | Verb | Object | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeg | elsker | dig | I love you |
| Hun | læser | bogen | She reads the book |
| Vi | køber | mad | We buy food |
Examples
Jeg ser dig.
I see you.
Simple SVO
Hun skriver et brev.
She writes a letter.
Subject + Verb + Object
Vi elsker Danmark.
We love Denmark.
Basic sentence structure
Børnene leger i parken.
The children play in the park.
SVO + location
3Questions
In yes/no questions, Danish places the verb FIRST. For questions with question words (hvad, hvor, hvem), the question word comes first, then verb, then subject.
Question Word Order
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/No | Verb + Subject | Taler du dansk? |
| Yes/No | Verb + Subject | Er hun hjemme? |
| Wh- | Q-word + Verb + Subject | Hvor bor du? |
Examples
Kommer du i morgen?
Are you coming tomorrow?
Verb first
Har du tid?
Do you have time?
No 'do' needed
Hvor er toilettet?
Where is the toilet?
Question word first
Hvem er det?
Who is it?
Question word first
4Adverb Placement
Short adverbs like 'ikke' (not), 'altid' (always), 'aldrig' (never) come AFTER the verb in main clauses.
Examples
Jeg forstår ikke.
I don't understand.
ikke after verb
Hun kommer altid til tiden.
She always comes on time.
altid after verb
Vi spiser aldrig kød.
We never eat meat.
aldrig after verb
De rejser ofte til Spanien.
They often travel to Spain.
ofte after verb