Et træ hvor fuglen sidder står i haven.

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Breakdown of Et træ hvor fuglen sidder står i haven.

• et: a
• haven: the garden
• fuglen: the bird
• træet: the tree
• sidde: to sit
• stå: to stand
• hvor: where

Questions & Answers about Et træ hvor fuglen sidder står i haven.

Why is hvor used in this sentence instead of som?

In Danish, hvor is often used to introduce a relative clause referring to a location (literally, "where the bird sits"). Som can also be used in relative clauses, but it’s more neutral and can mean "that" or "who/which," depending on context. Here, hvor emphasizes the place in or on which something happens—so "et træ, hvor fuglen sidder" focuses on the location of the bird rather than just describing the tree with "som."

Why does står come so late in the sentence?

In Danish, when a sentence starts with a subject and then a relative clause immediately follows it, the main verb often appears after that relative clause. Here, "et træ, hvor fuglen sidder" is the entire subject of the sentence. The main verb, står, comes after the relative clause and then we see "i haven" to complete the statement. This is a standard Danish word order: Subject (including any relative clauses) → Verb → Remaining elements.

Why is the article et used with træ?

In Danish, nouns are either en-words or et-words. Træ is an et-word, so its indefinite article is et. It’s just something that must be memorized for each noun: some must be paired with et, and others with en.

Is there a difference between saying Træet, hvor fuglen sidder, står i haven and the given sentence?

Yes, using Træet (the definite form) would imply you’re talking about a specific tree that both you and the listener might already know about. By using Et træ (the indefinite form), you’re introducing the tree for the first time, as in "There is a tree (where the bird sits) in the garden." Once introduced, you could then refer to it with the definite form Træet in subsequent sentences.