Questions & Answers about Hun aner intet om prisen.
What does aner mean here?
Aner is the present tense of the verb at ane.
In this sentence, at ane means to have any idea, to know in the slightest, or to have the faintest clue.
So Hun aner intet om prisen is stronger than just She doesn’t know about the price. It has the sense of:
- She has no idea about the price
- She knows absolutely nothing about the price
You will often see at ane in negative-style expressions such as:
- Jeg aner det ikke = I have no idea
- Han aner intet = He has no clue
Why is it intet and not ikke?
Intet means nothing or not anything.
So the structure is:
- Hun = she
- aner = has any idea / knows
- intet = nothing
- om prisen = about the price
Danish often uses words like intet, ingen, or aldrig instead of adding ikke.
So:
- Hun aner intet om prisen = She knows nothing about the price
A version with ikke is also possible in everyday Danish, but it would usually be phrased differently, for example:
- Hun aner ikke noget om prisen
- Hun ved ikke noget om prisen
So intet itself already makes the sentence negative.
What is the difference between intet and ingenting?
Both can mean nothing, and in many situations they are very close.
In this sentence:
- Hun aner intet om prisen
- Hun aner ingenting om prisen
Both are understandable and natural.
The main difference is tone and style:
- intet can sound a bit more formal, written, or compact
- ingenting is often more common in everyday speech
So intet is perfectly correct, but a learner will probably hear ingenting very often in spoken Danish.
Why is it om prisen?
The preposition om here means about.
The verb pattern is:
- at ane noget om noget = to know something about something
- ikke at ane noget om noget = not to know anything about something
So:
- Hun aner intet om prisen = She knows nothing about the price
You cannot directly translate English prepositions word for word every time, but here om matches English about very well.
Similar examples:
- Jeg ved noget om sagen = I know something about the case
- De ved ingenting om problemet = They know nothing about the problem
Why is it prisen and not pris?
Prisen is the definite form of pris.
- pris = price
- prisen = the price
Danish usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun:
- en pris = a price
- prisen = the price
So om prisen means about the price, not just about price.
This is very common in Danish and is one of the first big differences from English.
What gender is pris, and does that matter here?
Pris is a common gender noun in Danish, so its indefinite article is en:
- en pris
- prisen
Yes, gender matters because it affects forms like:
- the article: en pris
- the definite ending: prisen
- adjectives and pronouns in other contexts
Here, the important thing is simply that pris is an en-word, which is why the definite form is prisen.
Is Hun aner intet om prisen a normal word order in Danish?
Yes, this is completely normal Danish word order.
The basic structure is:
- subject: Hun
- verb: aner
- object: intet
- prepositional phrase: om prisen
So it follows the standard pattern for a main clause.
Danish main clauses usually keep the finite verb early in the sentence. This sentence is very straightforward and natural.
You might also see other word orders in special contexts, for example if something else is placed first:
- Om prisen aner hun intet
That is also possible, but it is more marked because om prisen has been moved to the front for emphasis.
Could I say Hun ved intet om prisen instead?
Yes. Hun ved intet om prisen is also correct.
The difference is mainly nuance:
- Hun ved intet om prisen = She knows nothing about the price
- Hun aner intet om prisen = She has no idea about the price
Aner often sounds a little stronger or more idiomatic, especially when someone is completely clueless.
In everyday Danish, you may also hear:
- Hun ved ikke noget om prisen
- Hun aner ikke noget om prisen
- Hun har ingen anelse om prisen
These are all related, but aner is especially common in expressions meaning to have no clue.
Why is there no article before intet?
Because intet is not a noun here. It is functioning like nothing or not anything.
Compare:
- Hun købte intet = She bought nothing
- Jeg så intet = I saw nothing
- Hun aner intet om prisen = She knows nothing about the price
So intet already stands on its own. It does not need an article.
Is intet connected to et-words?
Yes, historically and grammatically, intet is related to the neuter form.
You may also see:
- ingen = no / none
- intet = nothing / no thing
- ikke noget = not anything
For many learners, the most useful thing is simply to memorize intet as a common negative word meaning nothing.
In modern everyday Danish, many speakers often prefer ikke noget or ingenting in conversation, but intet is still correct and common enough to learn well.
Would a Danish speaker actually say this in real life?
Yes, but the exact wording depends on style and situation.
Hun aner intet om prisen is correct and natural, especially in writing or slightly more formal speech.
In everyday spoken Danish, people might more often say:
- Hun aner ikke noget om prisen
- Hun ved ikke noget om prisen
- Hun aner ingenting om prisen
So the sentence you have is good Danish, but it is slightly more compact and polished than some very casual spoken alternatives.
How can I use at ane in other useful sentences?
It is very commonly used in negative expressions. Some helpful examples are:
- Jeg aner det ikke = I have no idea
- Vi aner intet = We know nothing
- Han aner ikke, hvad hun mener = He has no idea what she means
- De anede ikke, at det var for sent = They had no idea that it was too late
A very common pattern to remember is:
- Jeg aner ikke ... = I have no idea ...
This is one of the most useful everyday Danish phrases.
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