Breakdown of Lægerne opererede hende i går.
lægen
the doctor
hende
her
i går
yesterday
operere
to operate (surgically)
Questions & Answers about Lægerne opererede hende i går.
Why is there no Danish word for "on" after opererede?
In English, we say "operate on someone", but in Danish, the verb at operere is transitive. This means it takes a direct object without needing an extra preposition. You just say opererede hende (operated her).
How is the word Lægerne formed?
It is the definite plural ("the doctors") of the noun en læge (a doctor). To make the plural, you add -r to get læger (doctors), and for the definite plural, you add -ne to get lægerne (the doctors).
Why does opererede end in -ede?
It is the past tense of the regular verb at operere. For regular Danish verbs that already end in -re in the infinitive, you typically add -de to form the past tense, resulting in opererede.
Could I put i går at the beginning of the sentence instead?
Yes, you can move time expressions like i går to the front for emphasis. Just remember that doing this triggers the V2 rule (verb in the second position). The verb and subject would swap places, making it: I går opererede lægerne hende.