Fixed prepositions for abstract nouns
When talking about abstract concepts like psychology, society, or personal beliefs, nouns are often followed by a specific preposition. These noun-preposition pairings are fixed, and because prepositions rarely map perfectly between languages, you cannot always translate them directly from English.
For example, in English you have a "belief in" something, but in Danish you have a tro på something. You must learn these prepositions as part of the noun's vocabulary.
Belief, knowledge, and influence: på and til
When expressing faith, belief, or influence, Danish uses på (literally "on"). For knowledge and familiarity, you will use til (literally "to").
- indflydelse på (influence on)
- tro på (belief in / faith in)
- kendskab til (knowledge of)
Hopes, doubts, and fears: om and for
When discussing anticipation, expectations, or uncertainty, om (about/of) is very common. However, when talking about fear, Danish uses for.
- frygt for (fear of)
- tvivl om (doubt about)
- håb om (hope of)
Attitudes and reactions: mod, for, and af
Finally, when expressing your stance toward a person, group, or idea, you will see a mix of prepositions. Opposition or bias usually takes mod (against/toward), sympathy takes for, and impressions take af (of).
- modstand mod (resistance to)
- fordom mod (prejudice against)
- sympati for (sympathy for)
- indtryk af (impression of)