Breakdown of Han kyssede hende på kinden.
han
he
hende
her
på
on / at / in (a language) / of (after nouns like end or start)
kinden
the cheek
kysse
to kiss
Questions & Answers about Han kyssede hende på kinden.
Why does the sentence use hende på kinden instead of just hendes kind (her cheek)?
In Danish, when an action involves someone's body part, it is most natural to use the object pronoun for the person (hende) plus a preposition and the definite form of the body part (kinden). While Han kyssede hendes kind is grammatically possible, Han kyssede hende på kinden is the standard, idiomatic way to say it.
Why do we use the preposition på here?
The preposition på (on) is typically used for locations involving a surface. Since a cheek is a flat exterior surface of the face, you kiss someone på kinden. You would also use på if kissing someone on the mouth (på munden).
Is the word for cheek (kinden) an en or et word?
It is an en word (common gender): en kind. You can see this from the definite suffix -en in kinden (the cheek). If it were an et word, the definite form would end in -et.
What is the base form of kyssede, and is it a regular verb?
The infinitive is at kysse (to kiss). It is a highly regular verb belonging to the most common conjugation group in Danish. It forms its past tense by adding -de to the stem (kyssede) and its present perfect by adding -t (har kysset).
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