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Questions & Answers about Er du sikker på det?
Why do we use på here instead of a word for "of" or "about"?
In Danish, certain adjectives are always paired with specific prepositions. To express being "sure of" or "sure about" something, you must always use the phrase sikker på. Prepositions rarely translate word-for-word between English and Danish, so it is best to learn them together as a set pair.
Would sikker change if I were asking multiple people?
Yes. The word sikker is an adjective describing du (you, singular). If you were asking a group of people, you would use the plural pronoun I and the plural form of the adjective, which is sikre. Notice that the spelling changes slightly by dropping one k and moving the e: Er I sikre på det?.
Could det also be translated as "it" here?
Yes. The word det can mean both "it" and "that" when referring to a general idea, situation, or something previously mentioned. Translating this sentence as "Are you sure about it?" is also perfectly correct.
How are the consonants in sikker pronounced?
Even though it is spelled with a double k, the sound is softer than an English "k". In Danish, a double k in the middle of a word is usually pronounced more like a hard English "g", similar to the "g" in "bigger".