Present tense verbs and word order (-r)

Forming the Present Tense

Unlike English, which changes the verb depending on the subject (I read vs. he reads), Danish verbs use the exact same form for everyone.

To form the present tense of a regular verb, simply take the infinitive (which usually ends in -e) and add -r.

to read
læse

Whether the subject is "I", "she", or "we", the present tense verb remains læser.

Basic Word Order

In basic statements, Danish uses the exact same word order as English: Subject + Verb + Object.

I read the book.
Jeg læser bogen.
She writes the letter.
Hun skriver brevet.
The girl eats the bread.
Pigen spiser brødet.

Notice how the verb always ends in -r no matter who the subject is.

He drives the car.
Han kører bilen.
The woman reads the letter.
Kvinden læser brevet.

You can link two independent statements together using og (and).

You eat the apple and I eat the bread.
Du spiser æblet og jeg spiser brødet.