Breakdown of Vi hjælper hendes søn og hendes datter.
og
and
vi
we
hjælpe
to help
datteren
the daughter
sønnen
the son
hendes
her
Questions & Answers about Vi hjælper hendes søn og hendes datter.
Why is it hendes both times? Doesn't the possessive word change depending on the gender of the noun?
That is true for words like min (my) or din (your), which change depending on whether the noun is an en-word or an et-word. But third-person words like hans (his) and hendes (her) never change form. They stay exactly the same, no matter what is being owned!
Why do we use the basic forms søn and datter instead of sønnen and datteren?
In Danish, when you use a possessive word like hendes (her), you must use the basic (indefinite) form of the noun after it. The possessive word already makes it clear exactly whose son and daughter we are talking about, so you do not add the definite ending.
Do we have to repeat hendes before both nouns?
You do not strictly have to. Saying Vi hjælper hendes søn og datter is also perfectly natural and means exactly the same thing. Repeating hendes in this sentence just adds a little bit of emphasis to both people.
How is the word og pronounced here?
In everyday spoken Danish, the word og (and) is usually pronounced just like the English vowel sound 'oh' or the letter O. You will not hear a hard 'g' sound at the end.
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