Learn Hardcore Danish: Der er meget larm i storbyen om natten. - There is a lot of noise in the big city at night.

In Danish, Der er functions like saying “There is” in English, signaling the existence or presence of something. Det er would more directly translate to “It is,” which typically refers to a specific thing or situation. So, for a general statement about noise existing, Der er is preferred.

What does meget mean, and how is it used?

Meget means “a lot” or “much.” It can modify uncountable nouns (like larm, which is an uncountable noun in Danish) to express a large quantity or degree.

Is larm ever used in the plural, and how does it differ from støj?

Larm is typically uncountable, referring to a general concept of noise or clamor. It doesn’t have a plural form in regular usage. Støj is another Danish word for noise; often, larm suggests a louder or more chaotic noise, while støj can be more neutral or technical (e.g., background noise).

Why do we say i storbyen and not something else like til storbyen?

I means “in” and focuses on location within the city. If you used til, it would imply movement toward or “to the city.” Since the sentence speaks about the noise that already exists in the city, i is the correct preposition for being “in” that location.

What does om natten mean, and how does it talk about time in Danish?

Om natten translates roughly to “at night” or “during the night.” In Danish, om + a part of the day (e.g., om morgenen, om aftenen, om natten) is used for recurring events or situations that happen during that time frame.