Learn Danish: Politibetjenten venter på sin makker i bilen. - The police officer is waiting for his partner in the car.

Politibetjenten venter på sin makker i bilen.

The police officer is waiting for his partner in the car.

Breakdown of Politibetjenten venter på sin makker i bilen.

bilen

the car

sin

his/her/its own (common)

vente på

to wait for

Questions & Answers about Politibetjenten venter på sin makker i bilen.

Why does the sentence use sin instead of hans for "his"?

In Danish, sin (and its neuter/plural forms sit and sine) is a reflexive possessive pronoun used when the subject of the clause owns the object. Here, the police officer is the subject and it is his own partner, so we use sin. If we used hans, it would mean he was waiting for another man's partner.

Why is på used after venter?

The Danish verb at vente (to wait) requires the preposition på to express "waiting for" someone or something. Translating "waiting for" directly to "venter for" is a common trap, but incorrect in Danish.

Is makker the standard word for "partner" in Danish?

Makker is a slightly informal but very common word for a workmate, buddy, or partner in a task. It is the most natural word for a police partner or someone you are paired up with for an assignment. For a romantic partner, you would instead use kæreste or partner.

Why do we use the preposition i for i bilen?

For small enclosed vehicles like cars or taxis, Danish uses i (in). You generally use på (on) for larger public transport where you can stand up and walk around, such as a bus (på bussen) or a train (på toget).