Jeg ser en fugl i haven.

I see a bird in the garden.

Breakdown of Jeg ser en fugl i haven.

• jeg: I
• i: in
• en: a
• haven: the garden
• se: to see
• fuglen: the bird

Questions & Answers about Jeg ser en fugl i haven.

Why does the sentence use "en fugl" and not "et fugl"?

Because "fugl" is a common-gender noun in Danish. Danish nouns can be either common gender (en) or neuter (et). Since "fugl" is common gender, you must use en.

Why is it "i haven" instead of "i have" or "i en have"?

Because "haven" is the definite form of "have" ("garden"). The basic noun is have ("garden"), and in Danish, to make it definite ("the garden"), you add -n or -en at the end based on the noun’s gender. So haven means "the garden".

Why is the word order "Jeg ser en fugl i haven" and not something else?

In Danish, the basic word order for a main clause is Subject–Verb–Object, just like English. You have the subject (Jeg, "I"), then the verb (ser, "see"), then the object (en fugl, "a bird"). The phrase i haven ("in the garden") is an adverbial phrase describing location, so it naturally follows the object.

Is there a difference if I say "Jeg ser en fugl" without adding "i haven"?

Yes, contextually.
• "Jeg ser en fugl" just means "I see a bird" with no mention of location.
• "Jeg ser en fugl i haven" means "I see a bird in the garden."

How do you pronounce "fugl" correctly in Danish?

The "g" is often quite soft or almost silent, and it may sound like "fool" with a very slight or muted "g" sound. Some Danish speakers pronounce it as /fuːl/ or a variant close to /ful. The exact pronunciation can vary slightly by region.