Til or for?
English uses for for two different ideas, and Danish splits them.
Til is the receiver and the purpose: the person something goes to, and what something is used for.
| I have bought a present for you. | Jeg har købt en gave til dig. |
| What do you need the money for? | Hvad skal du bruge pengene til? |
For is "on behalf of, for the benefit of", and the price you pay:
| Can you call the doctor for me? | Kan du ringe til lægen for mig? |
| I bought the bike for a thousand kroner. | Jeg købte cyklen for tusind kroner. |
| Danish | English | |
|---|---|---|
| receiver | en gave til dig | a present for you |
| purpose | bruge pengene til mad | use the money for food |
| on behalf of | ringe for mig | call for me (instead of me) |
| employer | arbejde for en virksomhed | work for a company |
| price | for tusind kroner | for a thousand kroner |
En gave for dig is a typical English-speaker's mistake: a present is always til someone.
Fra or af?
Fra is the starting point: where or when something starts, and who sent it. Af is who did it (after a passive), what it is made of, and what someone owns or is part of: ejeren af huset, en del af pengene. The owner himself takes -s, not af: min fars hus.
| The letter is from my boss, but the present is for you. | Brevet er fra min chef, men gaven er til dig. |
| The book is written by a famous author. | Bogen er skrevet af en kendt forfatter. |
| Danish | English | |
|---|---|---|
| sender | et brev fra min mor | a letter from my mother |
| starting point | fra ni til fem, toget fra Aarhus | from nine to five, the train from Aarhus |
| agent (passive) | skrevet af en forfatter | written by an author |
| material | lavet af glas | made of glass |
| owner of, part of | ejeren af huset | the owner of the house |
So et brev fra Peter is a letter Peter sent, while en roman af Peter is a novel Peter wrote.
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