Questions & Answers about Holder du af hende?
How is holder af different from elsker or kan lide?
At holde af sits right between the two. It is stronger and warmer than at kunne lide (to like), but it generally lacks the heavy romantic weight of at elske (to love). It translates best to 'to care for' or 'to be fond of'.
Why does the verb holder, which usually means 'holds' or 'stops', mean 'fond of' here?
This is because at holde af is a phrasal verb. When you add the preposition af to holde, the literal meaning is completely replaced by this new, fixed meaning of 'being fond of'.
Does the preposition af force the use of hende instead of hun?
Exactly. Just like in English, Danish prepositions are always followed by the object form of a pronoun. Since af is a preposition, it requires the object pronoun hende (her) rather than the subject pronoun hun (she).
Can I use holder af when talking about things or hobbies, or is it only for people?
You can absolutely use it for things! Saying jeg holder af at læse (I am fond of reading) or jeg holder af kaffe (I am fond of coffee) sounds very natural and expresses a deep, cozy appreciation.
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