A2 Danish GrammarObject Pronouns
Master Danish object pronouns (mig, dig, ham, hende, etc.) to replace nouns as direct and indirect objects. Learn the difference between subject and object forms, understand pronoun placement in sentences, and practice with common verbs that take object pronouns.
1Object Pronouns Overview
Danish uses different pronoun forms for subjects and objects. Object pronouns replace nouns that receive the action (direct object) or benefit from it (indirect object). Unlike German, Danish doesn't distinguish between accusative and dative - there's just one object form.
Subject vs Object Pronouns
| Person | Subject | Object | English Object |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sing. | jeg | mig | me |
| 2nd sing. | du | dig | you |
| 3rd sing. m. | han | ham | him |
| 3rd sing. f. | hun | hende | her |
| 3rd sing. n. | den/det | den/det | it |
| 1st plur. | vi | os | us |
| 2nd plur. | I | jer | you |
| 3rd plur. | de | dem | them |
Examples
Kan du hjælpe mig?
Can you help me?
'mig' as direct object
Jeg elsker dig.
I love you.
'dig' as direct object
Vi ser dem hver dag.
We see them every day.
'dem' as direct object
Hun kender ham godt.
She knows him well.
'ham' as direct object
2Direct Object Pronouns
Direct object pronouns replace the noun that directly receives the action of the verb. They answer the question 'whom?' or 'what?' The direct object pronoun usually comes immediately after the verb in main clauses.
Common Verbs with Direct Objects
| Danish Verb | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| se | see | Jeg ser hende |
| høre | hear | Hun hører mig |
| kende | know | Vi kender dem |
| elske | love | Han elsker dig |
Examples
Jeg så ham i går.
I saw him yesterday.
Direct object after verb
Hørte du mig?
Did you hear me?
Question with object pronoun
De besøgte os i weekenden.
They visited us on the weekend.
'os' as direct object
Læreren roste jer.
The teacher praised you (pl.).
'jer' for plural 'you'
3Indirect Object Pronouns
Indirect object pronouns indicate to whom or for whom an action is done. They often appear with verbs of giving, telling, or showing. In Danish, the indirect object typically comes before the direct object. Danish uses the same pronoun forms for both direct and indirect objects.
Verbs with Indirect Objects
| Danish | English | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| give | give | give + IO + DO |
| vise | show | vise + IO + DO |
| fortælle | tell | fortælle + IO + DO |
| sende | send | sende + IO + DO |
Examples
Giv mig bogen.
Give me the book.
'mig' = indirect object (to me)
Hun viste os vejen.
She showed us the way.
'os' before direct object 'vejen'
Jeg fortalte ham historien.
I told him the story.
Indirect object 'ham' first
Send mig en besked.
Send me a message.
Imperative with indirect object
4Pronoun Position in Sentences
In main clauses, object pronouns come directly after the verb. In subordinate clauses, they come after the subject (and any adverbs like 'ikke'). When there are two objects, the indirect object comes before the direct object. In imperatives, the pronoun follows the verb.
Pronoun Position Rules
| Clause Type | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Main clause | After verb | Jeg ser ham |
| Question | After subject | Ser du hende? |
| Subordinate | After S + adv | ...at hun ikke ser mig |
| Two objects | IO before DO | Giv mig den |
Examples
Jeg ved, at hun elsker ham.
I know that she loves him.
Subordinate clause: after subject
Kan du give mig den?
Can you give me it?
IO 'mig' before DO 'den'
Ring til mig i morgen!
Call me tomorrow!
Imperative with preposition + pronoun
Fordi han ikke kender os.
Because he doesn't know us.
Subordinate clause word order