Breakdown of Staten bruger mange penge på sygehuse.
mange
many
bruge
to use / to spend (money, time) / to need (together with the modal of obligation)
på
on / at / in (a language) / of (after nouns like end or start)
pengene
the money
Questions & Answers about Staten bruger mange penge på sygehuse.
Why does the sentence use bruger instead of a specific word for 'spends'?
In Danish, the verb at bruge usually means 'to use.' However, when you combine it with penge (money), it translates to 'to spend.' So, bruger penge på means 'spends money on.'
Why is it mange penge? Shouldn't it be meget penge since money is uncountable in English?
This is a very common trap! In English, 'money' is uncountable. But in Danish, penge is grammatically a plural noun (historically referring to individual coins). Because it is plural, you must use mange (many) rather than meget (much).
Why is the plural of hospital sygehuse and not sygehuser?
The singular word is et sygehus (a neuter noun). Many short neuter nouns in Danish form their plural simply by adding an -e to the end instead of the more common -er ending.
Is på the only preposition you can use for spending money?
Yes, when you talk about spending money 'on' something, Danish always uses the preposition på. The fixed phrase to remember is at bruge penge på noget.