Hunden ligger stille på tæppet.

The dog lies quietly on the blanket.

Breakdown of Hunden ligger stille på tæppet.

• hunden: the dog
• på: on
• tæppet: the blanket
• stille: quietly
• ligge: to lie

Questions & Answers about Hunden ligger stille på tæppet.

Why do we use the verb ligger here instead of er or sidder?

In Danish, ligger specifically refers to lying down (position) rather than simply existing (er) or sitting (sidder). It gives more precise information about the dog’s position on the rug.

How does stille function in this sentence?

Stille here means that the dog is lying in a still or quiet manner. It acts as an adverb describing how the dog is lying, rather than describing the dog’s inherent character.

Why is it Hunden instead of En hund?

Danish has a definite suffix added to nouns. Hunden (the dog) is formed by adding -en to hund. This indicates that we’re talking about a specific dog, not just any dog.

Does på tæppet mean on the rug/carpet in a general or specific sense?

Tæppet is a noun with the definite article attached (-et). So we are talking about the particular rug/carpet rather than just a random rug. På tæppet literally means on the rug/carpet in a specific sense.

Is the word order always "Hunden ligger stille på tæppet," or can it be changed?

In Danish, it’s common to keep the subject (Hunden) before the verb (ligger) and place the adverb (stille) after the verb. You can move stille to the front for emphasis—Stille ligger hunden på tæppet—but it would sound more poetic or literary. The original word order is the most neutral.