Word
Han elsker sin kone.
Meaning
He loves his wife.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Han elsker sin kone.
Why do we use sin here instead of hans for his?
In Danish, when a third person (like he, she, or it) does an action to something they own, you use a reflexive possessive like sin. Because he loves his own wife, we use sin. If the sentence said Han elsker hans kone, it would mean he loves a different man's wife!
How do I know whether to choose sin, sit, or sine in this sentence?
The choice depends on the gender and number of the thing being owned, not the owner. The word for wife (en kone) is a singular common-gender word, so it takes sin. If he loved his child (et barn), it would be sit barn. If he loved his cars (plural), it would be sine biler.
Does the verb elsker change if the subject is a different person?
No! Danish verbs do not change based on who is doing the action. The present tense verb is always elsker, whether it is I, you, he, or they doing the loving.
Are there other words for wife besides kone?
Yes, you might also see the word hustru. However, kone is the normal, everyday word. hustru is very formal and is mostly used in legal documents or official contexts.