In English, we use "to think" for almost any opinion or belief. In Danish, you must choose between three verbs depending on why you think something: mene, synes, and tro.
Mene: The Considered Stance
Use mene for a considered stance, a philosophical viewpoint, or a firm professional opinion.
| What do you think about her stance? | Hvad mener du om hendes holdning? |
| I think that the proposal is very sensible. | Jeg mener at forslaget er meget fornuftigt. |
Synes: The Personal Experience
Use synes for subjective opinions based on personal taste or direct experience. This is the go-to verb for everyday likes, dislikes, and impressions.
| We think that the politician talks too much. | Vi synes at politikeren taler for meget. |
Tro: The Belief
Use tro for believing, guessing, or predicting. A golden rule in Danish: if you haven't experienced something firsthand (like a movie you haven't seen yet), you must use tro, not synes.
| Why do you think that the argument is false? | Hvorfor tror du at argumentet er falskt? |
Agreeing, Disagreeing, and Convincing
When debating, use the preposition om to specify what you disagree (uenig) about.
| The argument is good. I, on the other hand, completely disagree. | Argumentet er godt. Jeg er derimod helt uenig. |
| They disagree about the principle. | De er uenige om princippet. |
Similarly, use om when trying to convince (overbevise) someone about a topic or principle.
| You cannot convince me about that principle. | Du kan ikke overbevise mig om det princip. |
