Breakdown of Jeg holder meget af dig.
jeg
I
dig
you (singular object)
meget
very; much, a lot
holde af
to be fond of (to care about)
Questions & Answers about Jeg holder meget af dig.
Why do we use holder af instead of just kan lide or elsker here?
The phrase holde af means to be fond of or to care deeply for someone. It occupies a middle ground in Danish: it is warmer and deeper than kan lide (to like), but usually less dramatic or romantically intense than elsker (to love). You can use it safely with close friends, family, and romantic partners.
Why is the word meget placed between holder and af?
In Danish main clauses, adverbs like meget (very or a lot) usually come right after the verb and before the preposition of a phrasal verb. Unlike English, where you might say the whole verb phrase and then add the modifier, Danish naturally splits the verb and its preposition to fit the adverb in the middle.
Is meget acting as very or much in this sentence?
It translates best to very in this context (very fond of), but meget is the universal Danish word for both much and very. Because holder af functions as an action, you can also think of the sentence structure as literally saying I care much for you.
If I remove af, does the sentence still make sense?
No, it completely loses the meaning of affection. Without af, the base verb holde usually means to physically hold, to keep, or to stop a vehicle. Danish relies heavily on phrasal verbs, so removing the preposition changes the entire definition of the verb.
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