Passive Preposition Stranding
In English, we can say "The politician was laughed at." Danish does exactly the same thing.
When a verb requires a preposition—such as at sladre om (to gossip about) or at grine ad (to laugh at)—you can turn its object into the subject of a passive sentence. The preposition is simply "stranded" after the verb.
| Her new colleague was gossiped about. | Hendes nye kollega blev sladret om. |
| The politician was laughed at all day. | Politikeren blev grinet ad hele dagen. |
Scandals and Accusations
When discussing rumors or scandals, you will often encounter vocabulary like ondsindet (malicious) and at anklage (to accuse).
| They accused him of a malicious crime. | De anklagede ham for en ondsindet forbrydelse. |
Using the passive voice allows you to shift the focus to the targeted person or event. If a rumor is untrue (usand), you can use a stranded preposition to emphasize the rumor itself.
| The untrue rumor was laughed at. | Det usande rygte blev grinet ad. |
Humiliation and Public Judgment
You can string multiple passive verbs together in one sentence, leaving the preposition at the end of the phrase.
| The poor boy was humiliated and looked down upon. | Den stakkels dreng blev ydmyget og set ned på. |
To specify who is performing the action in the public eye (offentligheden), add an af (by) phrase immediately after the stranded preposition.
| The accusation was laughed at by the public. | Anklagen blev grinet ad af offentligheden. |