Learn Hardcore Danish: Deres billet ligger på bordet.

Capitalized Deres is the formal/polite possessive meaning your (singular or plural). Lowercase deres means their. In speech they sound the same; in writing you rely on capitalization and context to tell them apart.

Could I use jeres instead of Deres?

Yes—jeres is the normal, neutral way to say your (plural) in modern Danish: Jeres billet ligger på bordet. If you mean one person informally, use din (common gender): Din billet ligger på bordet. Formal Deres is mainly used in very polite or official contexts.

Why isn’t it Deres billetten?

With a preposed possessive (like Deres/jeres/din), the noun stays in the indefinite form: Deres billet, not Deres billetten. If you want a definite form with a possessive, use the postposed pattern: billetten Deres/deres/jeres.

So is billetten Deres correct, and does it change the meaning?

Yes, billetten Deres is correct (capital D = formal “your”). Meaning is the same; the postposed possessive can feel a bit more emphatic or colloquial/old‑fashioned depending on context. For “their,” you’d write billetten deres (lowercase).

Why use ligger instead of er?

Danish prefers a “posture” verb for where things are: ligger (lies), står (stands), sidder (sits), hænger (hangs). A flat object like a ticket is understood to be lying, so ligger is the idiomatic choice. Er is not wrong, but it’s less natural for physical location.

What’s the difference between ligger and lægger?

ligger = lies/is lying (intransitive, state): Billetten ligger på bordet.
lægger = lays/puts (transitive, action): Jeg lægger billetten på bordet.

Could I use står, sidder, or hænger instead of ligger?

Use the posture that matches reality:

står for upright objects (a bottle, a book standing on its edge): Flasken står på bordet.
sidder for things attached/stuck/clamped: Seddelen sidder på tavlen.
hænger for suspended objects: Frakken hænger på stolen. A ticket normally lies flat, so ligger fits best.

Why is it på bordet and not i or ved?

på = on (on top of a surface): på bordet = on the table.
i = in/inside: i skuffen = in the drawer.
ved = at/by/near: ved bordet = at the table (e.g., where you sit). Here the ticket is on the surface, so på.

Why does bordet end in -et?

Because bord is a neuter noun: et bord (a table) → bordet (the table). By contrast, billet is common gender: en billet → billetten.

What genders are billet and bord, and why does it matter?

billet: common gender → en billet, billetten.
bord: neuter → et bord, bordet. Gender determines the article and the definite suffix. It also affects adjective endings elsewhere.

How would I say it if there are multiple tickets?

Use the plural: Deres billetter ligger på bordet. (indefinite plural billetter, definite plural billetterne).

How do I negate the sentence?

Place ikke after the finite verb: Deres billet ligger ikke på bordet. (Verb-second word order is preserved: subject, verb, then ikke.)

How do I make this a question?

Yes/No: Ligger Deres billet på bordet?
Wh-question: Hvor ligger Deres billet? Adjust the possessive as needed: jeres, deres, din, etc.

Is the word order here an example of the V2 (verb-second) rule?

Yes. The finite verb (ligger) is in second position: [Deres billet] [ligger] [på bordet]. If you front the place phrase, the verb still stays second: På bordet ligger Deres billet.

Any quick pronunciation tips?

Deres/deres: roughly “DEH-res” (same sound; only writing distinguishes them). The Danish r is uvular (back of the throat).
billet: “bi-LET” (stress on second syllable; final t pronounced).
ligger: “LIH-ger” (hard g; final -er is a weak ‘uh’).
på: like “paw” with a long vowel.
bordet: “BOHR-ðuh,” where the soft d is like the th in “this,” and the final -et is a very light schwa.

Why can’t I say Sin billet ligger på bordet?

Reflexive sin/sit/sine can’t be used inside a subject noun phrase. Use hans/hendes/deres for third-person subjects as possessives in subject position: Hans billet ligger på bordet. Use sin only when the possessor is the (third‑person) subject elsewhere in the clause: Han lagde sin billet på bordet.