Breakdown of Mange har fået øjnene op for problemet.
have
to have
mange
many
problemet
the problem
få øjnene op for
to wake up to, to discover (come to appreciate)
Questions & Answers about Mange har fået øjnene op for problemet.
Why is Mange used on its own without a noun like 'mennesker' (people) after it?
In Danish, words like mange (many) and nogle (some) are frequently used on their own as standalone pronouns to mean 'many people' or 'some people'. You do not need to add mennesker or folk, though doing so would not be grammatically wrong.
What does the phrase fået øjnene op for literally mean?
It translates literally to 'got the eyes up for'. It is a very common Danish idiom used exactly like the English expressions 'to open your eyes to' or 'to wake up to' a situation, usually a problem or a new realization.
Why does the word øjnene look so different from the singular form øje (eye)?
The word øje has an irregular plural form, øjne (eyes). When you make it definite to say 'the eyes', you add the definite plural suffix -ne, resulting in øjnene. Notice that Danish uses the definite form ('the eyes') where English often uses a possessive ('their eyes') in body part idioms.
Could I use the preposition til instead of for at the end of the idiom?
No, the fixed idiom requires for. While English says 'woken up to' or 'opened their eyes to', the Danish expression is strictly få øjnene op for noget (to get the eyes up for something).
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