Jeg skriver telefonnummeret på papiret.

I write the phone number on the paper.

Breakdown of Jeg skriver telefonnummeret på papiret.

• jeg: I
• på: on
• skrive: to write
• papiret: the paper
• telefonnummeret: the phone number

Questions & Answers about Jeg skriver telefonnummeret på papiret.

What does each part of the sentence "Jeg skriver telefonnummeret på papiret" mean?

"Jeg" means I, "skriver" is the present tense of write, "telefonnummeret" means the telephone number (with the definite article attached as a suffix), and "på papiret" translates as on the paper (with "papiret" being the definite form of "papir").

Why do "telefonnummeret" and "papiret" have the ending -et?

In Danish, many neuter nouns form their definite version by adding the suffix -et. This means "telefonnummer" becomes "telefonnummeret" to indicate the telephone number and "papir" becomes "papiret" to mean the paper. This is a standard grammatical feature in Danish.

What is the grammatical structure of the sentence?

The sentence follows a Subject-Verb-Object-Prepositional Phrase structure. "Jeg" is the subject, "skriver" is the verb, "telefonnummeret" is the object, and "på papiret" is the prepositional phrase indicating where the action takes place.

What role does the preposition på play in the phrase "på papiret"?

The preposition på functions similarly to on in English. It indicates the location where the action is happening—in this case, it shows that the telephone number is being written on the paper.

Is skriver a simple present tense? What does that tell us about the action?

Yes, skriver is the present tense form of the verb skrive. In Danish, the present tense can describe both a habitual action (as in I write) or an action that is currently ongoing (as in I am writing). The context usually clarifies which meaning is intended.

Why does Danish attach the definite article as a suffix rather than using a separate word like the in English?

Danish uses suffixes (like -et for neuter nouns) to mark definiteness. Unlike English, which places the before a noun, Danish typically appends the article at the end of the noun. This is an essential feature of Danish grammar and helps learners recognize that the noun is definite.