Breakdown of Hvem stemmer du på til valget?
du
you
hvem
who
til
to (preposition) / for (purpose) / at (an event or occasion) / at (good at something)
på
on / at / in (a language) / of (after nouns like end or start)
stemme
to vote
valget
the election
Questions & Answers about Hvem stemmer du på til valget?
Why do we use på here instead of a word that translates directly to "for"?
In Danish, the fixed phrase for voting for a person or party is at stemme på. Literally, this translates to "to vote on". Prepositions rarely match up perfectly between English and Danish, so it is best to memorize stemmer på as a set phrase.
Why does the sentence use til valget instead of i valget for "in the election"?
Danish typically uses the preposition til for events, gatherings, or organized occasions. Just as you would say til festen (at the party) or til brylluppet (at the wedding), you use til valget when talking about participating in the election.
Does valget only mean "the election"?
No, the root word et valg can mean either "an election" or "a choice". In this specific context, because the sentence involves voting (stemmer), it clearly means the election. The -et suffix makes it definite: "the election".
The preposition på is separated from the question word Hvem. Is this typical in Danish?
Yes! Just like in English, Danish frequently leaves the preposition at the end of the phrase when asking a question about "who". The sentence flows as "Who vote you on?" While you could technically put the preposition first and say På hvem stemmer du?, that sounds very stiff and unnatural in everyday Danish.
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