Jeg har ventet længe på min ven.

I have waited for a long time for my friend.

Breakdown of Jeg har ventet længe på min ven.

• jeg: I
• min: my
• have: to have
• vennen: the friend
• længe: long
• vente på: to wait for

Questions & Answers about Jeg har ventet længe på min ven.

What tense is used in the sentence, and how is it constructed?

The sentence uses the present perfect tense. It combines the auxiliary verb har (meaning have) with the past participle ventet (meaning waited). This formation indicates that the action occurred in the past and still has relevance to the present, similar to the English structure “I have waited.”

Why is the preposition på used in this sentence, and does it always translate directly to “for” in English?

In Danish, the verb vente (to wait) requires the preposition på to introduce the object of waiting. In this context, ventet på min ven translates directly to “waited for my friend.” Although på can mean “on” or “at” in other contexts, with vente it specifically carries the sense of “for.”

What role does længe play in the sentence, and why isn’t the adjective form lang used instead?

Længe functions as an adverb modifying the verb ventet, indicating the duration of the waiting. In Danish, adverbs describing time or manner do not change their form the way adjectives do. Thus, længe is used to mean “for a long time” rather than lang, which would be the adjectival form used to describe a noun.

How is the object min ven integrated into the sentence structure, and why does it appear at the end?

The phrase min ven (my friend) serves as the object of the waiting. It follows the preposition på, which is required by the verb vente. In Danish sentence structure, especially in perfect constructions, the subject and verb come first, while adverbial and prepositional phrases typically appear later in the sentence, placing min ven at the end.

Can the duration of waiting be expressed differently, and if so, what is an alternative way to say it?

Yes, the duration can be expressed in other ways. Instead of using længe, one could say i lang tid. For example, Jeg har ventet i lang tid på min ven also means “I have waited for a long time for my friend.” Both expressions convey the same idea, though i lang tid might add a slightly more explicit nuance to the duration.

What is the base form of ventet, and how is the past participle generally formed for regular Danish verbs?

The base form of ventet is vente. For many regular Danish verbs, the past participle is formed by adding -et (or sometimes -t) to the stem of the verb. While this is a common pattern, it’s important to note that irregular verbs may not follow this rule.