Questions & Answers about Jeg er født i nitten hundrede og halvfems.
Why does it say er født (am born) instead of using the past tense?
In Danish, you use the present tense er født (am born) when talking about yourself or someone who is still alive. The past tense blev født (was born) is typically used for historical figures, people who have passed away, or when focusing heavily on the physical event of the birth.
How do you read years in Danish? Why does it say nitten hundrede og?
For years between 1000 and 1999, Danish literally says "nineteen hundred and..." (nitten hundrede og...). While English speakers shorten 1990 to "nineteen ninety", in Danish it is standard and grammatically correct to include the hundrede og (hundred and).
Where does the word halvfems come from for the number 90?
Danish numbers from 50 to 90 are based on an old system of counting by twenties. Halvfems is an abbreviation of a longer word meaning "four and a half times twenty" (4.5 x 20 = 90). You don't need to do the math every time; at this level, just memorize that halvfems means 90!
Do we always use the preposition i before a year?
Yes, when stating the specific year an event happened, Danish uses i. This perfectly matches how we use "in" in English (in 1990).