Breakdown of Borgmesteren overrækker vinderen pokalen.
borgmesteren
the mayor
vinderen
the winner
overrække
to present (hand over, award)
pokalen
the trophy
Questions & Answers about Borgmesteren overrækker vinderen pokalen.
How do I know whether to put vinderen or pokalen first?
When a sentence has two objects without a preposition, the indirect object—the one receiving the item, which is vinderen (the winner)—always comes before the direct object, pokalen (the trophy). This matches the English word order: presents the winner the trophy.
Can I rewrite this sentence using the word til (to)?
Yes! If you use til, the word order switches so the direct object comes first: Borgmesteren overrækker pokalen til vinderen. This swap is known as dative shift, and both versions are perfectly natural and common in Danish.
What does the prefix over- add to the verb rækker here?
The base verb rækker means reaches or hands (like passing the salt). Adding over- creates overrækker, which specifically means to formally present or hand over something important, like a trophy or an award.
All the nouns in this sentence end in -en. Is that a coincidence?
Yes, it is just a coincidence of the vocabulary! Borgmester, vinder, and pokal all happen to be common gender nouns (en-words). Since the sentence refers to the mayor, the winner, and the trophy, they all take the definite suffix -en.
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