Double objects (without prepositions)
Some verbs involve two objects: a direct object (the thing being given or shown) and an indirect object (the person receiving it). Common verbs in this category include overrække (present), tildele (award), and forære (give as a gift).
When you do not use a preposition, the indirect object (the receiver) comes immediately after the verb, followed by the direct object (the item).
Adding prepositions
You can express the exact same meaning by using the preposition til (to). When you use til, the word order swaps: the direct object (the item) comes first, followed by til and the indirect object (the receiver).
This structure is very common in Danish and is often used when you want to put a little extra focus on who is receiving the item.
Pronouns and complex sentences
These word order rules stay the same even when the receiver is a pronoun, or when the sentence includes subordinate clauses.
If you omit the preposition, place the pronoun (the receiver) immediately after the verb.
If you include til, the direct object still precedes the prepositional phrase, even in longer sentences that explain reasons using conjunctions like eftersom (since) or fordi (because).