Jeg lærer at skrive på papir.

I

Breakdown of Jeg lærer at skrive på papir.

• på: on
• skrive: to write
• papiret: the paper
• at: to
• lære: to learn

Questions & Answers about Jeg lærer at skrive på papir.

Why do we use at before skrive?

In Danish, at indicates the infinitive form of a verb. Whenever you have a construction like Jeg lærer (I’m learning) followed by another verb, you typically add at to mark that the second verb (skrive) is in the infinitive.

Why is the word på used with papir?

Danish uses på (“on”) when referring to writing on a physical surface, like paper. It’s similar to saying “on paper” in English, rather than “in paper.”

Does lærer only mean “to learn,” or can it mean other things?

The word lærer can function as both a verb (to learn) and a noun (teacher). In this sentence, it’s clearly used as a verb because it’s followed by at skrive.

Why is there no extra word for “to” in addition to at?

In English, we say “I am learning to write,” but in Danish, the equivalent “to” is simply at. You don’t need another word for “to,” because at already fulfills that role.

Is the word order rigid in Danish for a sentence like this?

Yes, Danish word order is generally quite fixed. A typical sentence starts with the subject (Jeg), followed by the verb (lærer), then any extra words like at skrive, and finally other elements such as på papir. Changing the order might sound unnatural or change the emphasis.