Nogle film handler om helte, men jeg foretrækker dem, der viser almindelige menneskers liv.

Some films are about heroes, but I prefer those that show the lives of ordinary people.

Breakdown of Nogle film handler om helte, men jeg foretrækker dem, der viser almindelige menneskers liv.

• jeg: I
• handle om: to be about
• men: but
• foretrække: to prefer
• mennesket: the person
• dem: them
• vise: to show
• filmen: the film
• nogle: some
• helten: the hero
• der: that
• almindelig: ordinary
• livet: the life

Questions & Answers about Nogle film handler om helte, men jeg foretrækker dem, der viser almindelige menneskers liv.

What does "handler om" mean in this sentence?

"Handler om" translates to "is about" or "deals with". It explains the central focus of the films—in this case, that they predominantly concern heroes.

How does the relative clause "dem, der viser almindelige menneskers liv" function?

In this sentence, "dem, der" functions similarly to "those that" in English. The pronoun "dem" refers back to "film", while "der" introduces a relative clause that specifies which films the speaker prefers: the ones that show the lives of ordinary people.

Why is there a comma before "men"?

The comma before "men" separates two independent clauses. Much like in English, Danish uses a comma before a coordinating conjunction like "men" (which means "but") to clearly divide distinct thoughts or statements within a sentence.

What does "almindelige menneskers liv" mean, and how is the possessive form expressed?

"Almindelige menneskers liv" means "the lives of ordinary people." The element "menneskers" is the plural genitive form of "menneske," which works like the possessive in English (as in "people's"). This construction indicates that the ordinary aspect belongs to the lives being described.

Why might the sentence use "dem, der" instead of a simpler relative pronoun like "som"?

Both "dem, der" and "som" can introduce relative clauses in Danish. However, "dem, der" is often used to clearly refer back to a specific antecedent—in this case, "film." It can add clarity by explicitly linking the pronoun "dem" with the clause that follows, emphasizing which films are being preferred.