Venen venter på mig ved døren.

the door

Breakdown of Venen venter på mig ved døren.

• mig: me
• vente på: to wait for
• venen: the friend
• ved: at

Questions & Answers about Venen venter på mig ved døren.

What does venen mean, and why is it written as one word instead of using a separate article like “the friend”?

Venen is the definite form of the noun ven, meaning “friend.” In Danish, the definite article isn’t a separate word (like “the” in English) but attached to the noun as a suffix—in this case, -en—to indicate “the friend.”

What tense is the verb venter, and how is it formed?

Venter is the present tense form of the verb vente (“to wait”). Danish regular verbs often add -er in the present tense, which makes venter equivalent to “waits” or “is waiting.”

Why is the preposition på used in the phrase på mig, and what does it indicate?

In Danish, the verb vente is typically followed by the preposition på when referring to the person or thing being waited for. So, på mig means “for me.” The preposition på serves to connect the action of waiting to its object.

What is the role of ved døren in the sentence, and why is ved chosen over another preposition?

Ved døren indicates the location of the action—it means “at the door” or “by the door.” The preposition ved is used to show proximity or being next to something. It is chosen here to specify that the waiting is occurring at the door, rather than on it or in some other relation.

How would you describe the overall structure of the sentence “Venen venter på mig ved døren”?

The sentence follows a clear subject–verb–prepositional phrases structure. Venen is the subject (the friend), venter is the verb (waits), and the phrases på mig and ved døren provide additional information about who is being waited for and where. This SVO order, along with the use of suffixes for the definite article, is typical in Danish sentence construction.