Jeg lærer af min ven.

I learn from my friend.

Breakdown of Jeg lærer af min ven.

• jeg: I
• min: my
• vennen: the friend
• lære: to learn
• af: from

Questions & Answers about Jeg lærer af min ven.

In Danish, does the verb lærer mean “learn” or “teach”?

Both, depending on the construction.

• Learn: [subject] lærer (noget) (af [nogen]) or lærer at + infinitive. Example: Jeg lærer af min ven. / Jeg lærer at køre bil.
• Teach: [subject] lærer [nogen] [noget]. Example: Jeg lærer min ven dansk.
• Note: lærer is also a noun meaning “teacher” (en lærer). Context tells you which is intended.

Why is it af and not fra in this sentence?

With the verb lære, Danish uses af to mark the source you learn from. Fra primarily indicates origin/direction or a sender.

• Correct: Jeg lærer meget af min ven.
• Not used: Jeg lærer fra min ven.
• Compare: Jeg fik et brev fra min ven (“I got a letter from my friend,” i.e., he was the sender). For something physically handed over, af is common: Jeg fik bogen af min ven.

Is the word order fixed? Can I front af min ven?

• Neutral S–V–(other elements): Jeg lærer af min ven.
• You can front the prepositional phrase for emphasis; then invert subject and verb: Af min ven lærer jeg.
• Jeg af min ven lærer is not natural Danish.

How do I choose between min, mit, and mine?

• min for singular common-gender (en-words): min ven (“my friend”).
• mit for singular neuter (et-words): mit hus (“my house”).
• mine for all plurals: mine venner (“my friends”).

Why isn’t it min vennen?

With possessives, the noun stays indefinite: min ven, not min vennen. Postposed possessives like vennen min are not standard in Danish (they’re Norwegian/Swedish style). To say “a friend of mine,” you can use en ven af mig.

Does ven mean boyfriend/girlfriend?

No. ven = “friend.” A romantic partner is kæreste. If you specifically mean a female friend, you can say veninde: min veninde. Many speakers still use ven generically for any gender.

What’s the difference between lære, læse, and studere?

• lære: learn/teach (acquire or impart knowledge/skills): Jeg lærer dansk af min ven.
• læse: read; also “study” (be reading/studying, especially at uni): Jeg læser en bog; Jeg læser jura (“I study law”).
• studere: study (academic field) or examine: Jeg studerer biologi. You can’t say Jeg læser af min ven to mean “I learn from my friend.” Use Jeg lærer af min ven. To say “study with my friend,” use Jeg læser med min ven.

How do I say “My friend teaches me Danish” versus “I learn Danish from my friend”?

• Teach: Min ven lærer mig dansk. (also: Min ven underviser mig i dansk.)
• Learn: Jeg lærer dansk af min ven.

How do I make other tenses of lære?

• Infinitive: at lære
• Present: lærer — Jeg lærer af min ven.
• Preterite (simple past): lærte — Jeg lærte af min ven.
• Present perfect: har lært — Jeg har lært meget af min ven.

Does Danish lærer cover both “I learn” and “I am learning”?

Yes. The Danish present tense covers both simple and progressive aspects. You can add time words for clarity: Jeg lærer lige nu af min ven (“I’m learning right now from my friend”).

Any quick pronunciation tips for the sentence?

• Jeg: starts with a “y” sound and ends like English “eye” (“yai”).
• lærer: æ is like the vowel in “cat”; Danish r is soft/back; the final -er is an unstressed, reduced syllable. A rough English approximation is “LAIR-uh.”
• af: a short, unstressed little word with a clear final “f” (don’t say it like English “of”).
• min: like “meen.”
• ven: the vowel like English “bed.” Primary stress falls on lær- in lærer.