Paraplyen er tung, men den holder mig tør.

to be

Breakdown of Paraplyen er tung, men den holder mig tør.

• men: but
• den: it
• mig: me
• holde: to keep
• paraplyen: the umbrella
• tung: heavy
• tør: dry

Questions & Answers about Paraplyen er tung, men den holder mig tør.

Why is Paraplyen in the definite form instead of simply paraply?

In Danish, nouns take a suffix to indicate the definite form. Paraplyen means “the umbrella,” with the “-en” suffix marking it as a specific umbrella. Paraply on its own is indefinite, meaning “an umbrella.”

What does den refer to in this sentence?

Den is a pronoun that refers back to paraplyen. In Danish, den is used for common-gender nouns (words typically ending in “-en” for their definite form), while det is used for neuter-gender nouns.

How does men function in the sentence?

Men means “but.” It connects two contrasting statements: Paraplyen er tung (“The umbrella is heavy”) and den holder mig tør (“it keeps me dry”).

What does holder mig tør literally mean, and why is it structured that way?

Literally, holder mig tør translates to “keeps me dry.” Holder is the verb “to keep/hold,” mig is the object pronoun “me,” and tør is an adjective meaning “dry.” It’s a common construction in Danish: “holder [someone/something] [adjective].”