Breakdown of Mandens historie er simpelthen hjerteskærende.
være
to be
manden
the man
historien
the story
simpelthen
simply
hjerteskærende
heartbreaking
Questions & Answers about Mandens historie er simpelthen hjerteskærende.
How is the word hjerteskærende built in this sentence?
This is a great example of object incorporation. It combines the noun hjerte (heart) with skærende, which is the present participle (the -ende form) of the verb at skære (to cut). Instead of writing it out as an action happening to an object, Danish rolls the object directly into the participle to create the single compound adjective hjerteskærende.
Will hjerteskærende change if the subject becomes plural, like historierne (the stories)?
No, it will stay exactly the same. Unlike regular adjectives, present participles ending in -ende are indeclinable. This means they do not add an -e or a -t to match the gender or number of the noun they describe. It is always just hjerteskærende.
What role does simpelthen play here, and why is it placed after the verb?
Simpelthen means "simply" or "absolutely" and is used as an intensifier to add emotion to the statement. It acts as a central adverb (like ikke, ofte, or altid), which means that in a main clause like this one, it must be placed directly after the finite verb (er).
Could I say historien af manden instead of mandens historie?
No, that would sound like an unnatural, direct translation of the English "the story of the man". Danish strongly prefers the -s ending for possession. If you absolutely had to use a prepositional phrase for possession in other contexts, Danish usually prefers til, but the -s genitive (mandens historie) is by far the most natural choice here.
Learn Mandens historie er simpelthen hjerteskærende and more in Danish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free