Word
Den frivillige som hun bor hos, er læge.
Meaning
The volunteer whom she lives with is a doctor.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Den frivillige som hun bor hos, er læge.
Why is the preposition hos at the end of the clause som hun bor hos?
In Danish relative clauses, prepositions are usually placed at the very end of the clause rather than right before the relative pronoun som. This is called preposition stranding. It is exactly like saying 'who she lives with' in English instead of the more formal 'with whom she lives'.
Why use hos instead of med for 'with' here?
The preposition hos specifically means 'at the home of' or 'at the place of'. Because she is staying at the volunteer's house, we use hos. If you used med (with), it would mean they live together as housemates, but it wouldn't necessarily imply it is the volunteer's home.
Why is 'the volunteer' translated as Den frivillige instead of using a normal definite noun ending?
The word frivillig (voluntary) is an adjective being used as a noun. When adjectives act as nouns in Danish, they still follow adjective grammar rules. To make it definite, you use the free-standing article Den and add the definite -e ending to the adjective, just as if you were saying den frivillige person.
Why is there no word for 'a' before læge?
In Danish, you drop the indefinite article (en or et) when stating someone's profession, nationality, or beliefs directly after the verb at være (to be). Therefore, 'is a doctor' simply becomes er læge.