Breakdown of Vi ser tv om aftenen.
se
to see / to look at
vi
we
om
in, at (with times of day)
aftenen
the evening
Questions & Answers about Vi ser tv om aftenen.
Why does the sentence use "ser" (see) instead of a word for "watch"?
In Danish, you use at se (to see) when talking about watching television or a movie. So vi ser tv literally translates to "we see TV," which is the natural way to express "we watch TV."
Why is the preposition "om" used here instead of "i"?
The preposition om is used with parts of the day to describe a recurring habit or something that happens generally. Om aftenen means "in the evening" or "in the evenings" as a routine. If you used i to say i aften, it would change the meaning to "tonight" (this specific evening).
Why is "aftenen" in the definite form (ending in -en)?
When using om to talk about a habitual time of day, Danish requires the noun to be in the definite form (the "the" form). So the basic word aften (evening) becomes aftenen (the evening) to form the set phrase om aftenen.
Could I use "kigger på" instead of "ser" for watching TV?
No, it would sound unnatural. While at kigge på means "to look at" or "to watch" (like watching a bird or a person), it is not used for television, movies, or plays. For those, always stick to at se.