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Questions & Answers about Jeg mødte min ven i haven.
What does "mødte" mean in English?
Mødte is the simple past tense of møde, meaning to meet. In English, it translates to met.
Why do we say "min ven" rather than just "ven"?
In Danish, using min ven specifies that it is my friend. If you only said ven, it would mean friend without indicating possession.
Why is it "i haven" and not "i en have"?
In Danish, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun. Haven means the garden, while en have would mean a garden. The sentence is talking about the garden rather than a garden.
Can "i haven" be placed at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes. You could say I haven mødte jeg min ven, which is perfectly acceptable in Danish. It slightly changes the emphasis, putting more focus on the location.
Is the order of the words important in Danish?
Yes. In Danish, the typical word order is subject + verb + object for main clauses. Here, Jeg (subject) is followed by mødte (verb), and then min ven (object). Prepositional phrases like i haven usually come after the object, unless you want to emphasize the location by moving it to the front.