Learn Hardcore Danish: Jeg er så glad, når jeg ser min ven.

når is used for:
- repeated events (every time something happens)
- general truths
- future events
da is used for:
- one specific time in the past

In this sentence, the speaker is talking about something that happens whenever they see their friend (a repeated situation), so når is correct:

Jeg er så glad, når jeg ser min ven.
I am so happy whenever I see my friend.

If you were talking about one particular time in the past, you would use da:

Jeg var så glad, da jeg så min ven i går.
I was so happy when I saw my friend yesterday.

Why is there a comma before når?

In Danish, når introduces a subordinate clause (når jeg ser min ven), and it is traditional to put a comma before such clauses.

Modern Danish allows two systems:

With start comma: comma before most subordinate clauses:
- Jeg er så glad, når jeg ser min ven.
Without start comma: omit that comma:
- Jeg er så glad når jeg ser min ven.

Both are accepted today, but many schools and textbooks still teach the version with the comma. So the comma is mainly a stylistic/orthographic rule, not a change of meaning.

Why is ser in the present tense if it can refer to many times?

Danish uses the present tense for:

actions happening now
habits and repeated actions
general truths
future events (when the context is clear)

Here, ser (see(s)) expresses a repeated or habitual action:

Jeg er så glad, når jeg ser min ven.
I am so happy when(ever) I see my friend.

Just like in English, I am so happy when I see my friend uses the present tense even though it can happen many times. Danish works the same way in this case.

Why is the word order når jeg ser min ven and not something like når ser jeg min ven?

In a subordinate clause in Danish (a clause introduced by når, at, fordi, etc.), the normal word order is:

subject – verb – (objects, adverbs, etc.)

So:

når jeg ser min ven
når (subordinator) – jeg (subject) – ser (verb) – min ven (object)

The version når ser jeg min ven would sound like a question and is not correct as a regular når-clause.

Very roughly:

Main clause (statement): Jeg ser min ven.
Subordinate clause: når jeg ser min ven

Why is it min ven and not min vennen or min venen?

In Danish, definiteness is usually marked in two ways:

By a definite ending on the noun:
- ven = a friend
- vennen = the friend
By a possessive pronoun like min (my), din (your), hans (his), etc.

When you use a possessive pronoun, you do not add the definite ending:

min ven = my friend
vennen = the friend
min vennen ❌ (wrong)
min venen ❌ (wrong)

So min ven is the correct form for my friend.

Can I leave out the second jeg and say når ser min ven?

No. Danish generally requires an explicit subject pronoun in each clause.

Correct: når jeg ser min ven (when I see my friend)
Incorrect: når ser min ven ❌

Unlike Spanish or Italian, Danish is not a “pro‑drop” language: you don’t normally omit subject pronouns. Every finite verb needs its subject stated, unless context and grammar very clearly allow you to drop it, which is not the case here.

Is there a difference between Jeg er så glad, når jeg ser min ven and Jeg bliver så glad, når jeg ser min ven?

Yes, there is a nuance:

Jeg er så glad, når jeg ser min ven.
Focuses on your state at that time: you are so happy whenever you see your friend.
Jeg bliver så glad, når jeg ser min ven.
Focuses more on the change: you become / get so happy when you see your friend.

Both are natural and correct. Bliver sounds a bit more dynamic, highlighting the emotional shift that happens at the moment of seeing your friend.

Can I say Jeg er så glad, når jeg ser på min ven? What is the difference between se and se på?

You can say it, but the meaning changes slightly.

se = to see (perceive visually, or meet / encounter)
se på = to look at (direct your eyes at something/someone)

In your original sentence:

når jeg ser min ven
= when I see / meet my friend (more neutral, like encounter)

If you say:

når jeg ser på min ven
= when I look at my friend (emphasis on actually looking at them)

The first version is more idiomatic for “when I see my friend” in the sense of meeting them.

Can I reverse the two parts and say Når jeg ser min ven, er jeg så glad? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can, and it is very natural:

Jeg er så glad, når jeg ser min ven.
Når jeg ser min ven, er jeg så glad.

The meaning is basically the same. The difference is:

In the first, the main point feels like “I am so happy”; the condition comes after.
In the second, the condition is highlighted: whenever I see my friend, (then) I’m so happy.

Word order note: when the når‑clause is first, the finite verb in the main clause (er) must still be in “second position”:

Når jeg ser min ven, er jeg så glad.
(Entire når‑clause counts as one element; er must come right after it.)

How do you pronounce jeg, glad, når, and ven?

Approximate guide (standard Danish):

jeg
Often sounds like /jaj/ (similar to English “yigh”), sometimes more reduced like /jæ/ in fast speech.
glad
Roughly /glað/.
- g = hard g, like in go
- a like the a in British “glass” (but shorter)
- final d is a soft ð sound (like the th in “this”, but weaker), or almost silent in relaxed speech.
når
Roughly /nɒɐ̯/.
Similar to British “nor”, but with a more open, rounded vowel, and a kind of swallowed r.
ven
Roughly /ven/.
- v like English v
- e like in “bed”
- n like English n

Is there a gender difference between ven and veninde? Which should I use?

Yes:

ven = (usually) a male friend, but can also be used generically in some contexts.
veninde = a female friend.

So:

min ven
- typically: my (male) friend
min veninde
- typically: my (female) friend

In many modern contexts, especially when the gender is not important, people may just say ven. But if you explicitly want to say “female friend” (and make it clear it’s not a girlfriend), veninde is common.