Questions & Answers about Hvad hedder manden?
Why does the verb hedder come before the subject manden?
This is because of the V2 (verb-second) rule. In Danish wh-questions, the question word like Hvad takes the first position, so the verb must take the second position. The subject then immediately follows the verb.
Why do we use Hvad (what) instead of a word for 'who' when asking for a name?
In Danish, you use the verb hedder, which specifically means to be called. Because you are asking what a person is called, the question literally translates to 'What is the man called?'. Therefore, you must use Hvad rather than the Danish word for 'who'.
Where is the word for 'the' in manden?
In Danish, the word for 'the' is usually attached to the end of the noun. The base word is mand (man), and adding the suffix -en makes it manden (the man).
Does hedder literally mean 'is called'?
hedder is a single present-tense verb that means to be named or to be called. While English needs a helping verb like 'is' to say 'is called', Danish just uses this one active verb all by itself.
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