Learn Hardcore Danish: Jeg øver mig på at skrive med en blyant.

In Danish, the verb øve is commonly used in its reflexive form øve sig (here conjugated as øver mig). The reflexive pronoun indicates that you are practicing something yourself, rather than practicing someone or something else.

Why is på used before at skrive?

In phrases like øve mig på at..., the preposition på helps introduce the activity you're practicing. It gives a sense of "working on" or "focusing on" an action—in this case, the action is at skrive ("to write").

Why do we use en blyant instead of blyanter?

En blyant is the singular form meaning "a pencil." By using the singular indeterminate article en, you're emphasizing that you are using one pencil. If you needed to talk about multiple pencils, you would use the plural form blyanter (such as med blyanter – "with pencils").

Is it correct to say Jeg øver mig i at skrive instead of på at skrive?

Yes, both øver mig på at skrive and øver mig i at skrive can be used. På emphasizes the direct activity you're focusing on, whereas i sometimes carries a sense of practicing "in" the skill in a more general sense. However, both forms convey the idea of practicing writing.

Does mig change if the subject is different?

Yes. The reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject. For example, you'd say du øver dig, han øver sig, or vi øver os, all meaning "practices/practice oneself/ourselves."