Word
Han friede til hende på stranden.
Meaning
He proposed to her on the beach.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Han friede til hende på stranden.
han
he
hende
her
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)
Questions & Answers about Han friede til hende på stranden.
I know fri as the adjective for "free". Does the verb at fri mean "to free" someone?
No, the verb at fri specifically means "to propose marriage". If you wanted to say "to free" or "to liberate" someone, you would use verbs like at befri or the phrase at sætte fri. So here, han friede means "he proposed".
Do you always use the preposition til when saying who someone is proposing to?
Yes, the fixed phrase is at fri til nogen (to propose to someone). Just like in English, this verb requires a specific preposition to connect to the person receiving the proposal, and in Danish, it is always til.
Could I say ved stranden instead of på stranden here?
You could, but it slightly changes the meaning. På stranden means they were physically walking or standing on the sand when he proposed. Ved stranden means "by the beach" or "at the seaside", so they could have been at a nearby restaurant, on a boardwalk, or just in the general coastal area.