Jeg modtog en invitation til en stor fest i storbyen.

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Breakdown of Jeg modtog en invitation til en stor fest i storbyen.

• i: in
• en: a
• stor: big
• til: to
• festen: the party
• invitationen: the invitation
• modtage: to receive
• storbyen: the metropolis

Questions & Answers about Jeg modtog en invitation til en stor fest i storbyen.

What does modtog mean and how is it formed in this sentence?

Modtog is the simple past form of the verb modtage, which means to receive. In this sentence, it indicates that the action of receiving happened in the past, so Jeg modtog en invitation... translates to I received an invitation... in English.

Why is the indefinite article en used in en invitation instead of et?

In Danish, every noun has a gender—either common (which takes en) or neuter (which takes et). The word invitation is a common gender noun, so it uses en. This is similar to using a or an in English, but you must remember the gender for each noun.

What role do the prepositions til and i play in this sentence?

The preposition til means to and introduces the event you’re invited to (a big party: en stor fest). The preposition i means in and indicates the location where the event takes place (storbyen, meaning the big city).

Why is storbyen written as one word, and how does it differ from saying en stor by?

Storbyen is a compound word where stor (big) is combined with byen, the definite form of by (city), effectively meaning the big city. Writing it this way implies a specific big city known to the speaker or listener. In contrast, en stor by—with the indefinite article en—would mean a big city, referring to any big city rather than a particular one.

Why don't the adjectives stor in en stor fest and storbyen receive any extra endings?

In Danish, when an adjective modifies an indefinite common gender noun (like fest in en stor fest), it appears in its base form with no ending. When adjectives are part of a compound noun, as in storbyen, they remain unchanged as well. (Note that in definite phrases the adjective usually takes an -e ending, as in den store fest.)

Could I replace modtog with a verb like fik? What would be the difference?

Yes, you could say Jeg fik en invitation, which also means I got an invitation. However, modtog is slightly more formal and emphasizes the act of receiving in a formal sense, while fik is more colloquial. The choice depends on the level of formality you wish to convey.