Breakdown of Hvor længe lever en hund?
en
a / an (common)
hunden
the dog
hvor længe
how long?
leve
to live, to be alive
Questions & Answers about Hvor længe lever en hund?
Why do we use Hvor længe instead of Hvor lang?
In Danish, længe is an adverb used specifically for time to mean duration. If you were asking about a dog's physical length from nose to tail, you would use the adjective lang, as in hvor lang er en hund? (how long is a dog?).
Could I use the verb bor instead of lever here?
No, because they mean different things. At leve (used here as lever) means to be alive or exist, which fits when asking about a lifespan. At bo means to reside or dwell in a specific place, like an apartment or a city.
Why is there no word for 'does' in the Danish sentence?
Unlike English, Danish does not use helper verbs like 'do' or 'does' to form questions. Instead, you simply invert the verb and the subject. After the question phrase Hvor længe, the verb lever comes right before the subject en hund, translating literally to 'How long lives a dog?'.
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