Learn Hardcore Danish: Forælderen hjælper barnet med lektierne. - The parent helps the child with the homework.

Common gender (n-words) → indefinite: en, definite: -en
- en forælder → forælderen
Neuter gender (t-words) → indefinite: et, definite: -et
- et barn → barnet

So:

barnet = the child
forælderen = the parent

Why is there no separate word for “the” before forælderen, barnet or lektierne?

In Danish, the definite article (the) is normally attached to the end of the noun as a suffix:

forælder → forælderen (the parent)
barn → barnet (the child)
lektier → lektierne (the homework)

So instead of the parent you just say forælderen, not den forælder in a simple sentence like this.

(You can have forms like den store forælder (the big parent), where den is used because of the adjective, but that’s another pattern.)

What exactly does lektierne mean, and why is it plural?

Lektierne is the definite plural form of lektie:

en lektie = a homework assignment / an exercise
lektier = homework (in general), assignments
lektierne = the homework (the specific assignments)

In practice, “homework” in Danish is almost always referred to in the plural:

Jeg laver lektier. = I’m doing homework.
Jeg laver lektierne. = I’m doing the homework (the given assignments).

So med lektierne means “with the homework” (that the child has to do).

Could you also say en forælder hjælper barnet med lektierne? What’s the difference?

Yes, that is also correct, but the meaning is slightly different in nuance:

Forælderen hjælper barnet med lektierne.
→ The parent helps the child with the homework
(We’re talking about specific, known people and homework.)
En forælder hjælper barnet med lektierne.
→ A parent helps the child with the homework
(We’re introducing “a parent” as new information, not a specific, previously known one.)

The original sentence uses definite forms (forælderen, barnet, lektierne), which makes everything feel more specific and known from context.

What tense and form is hjælper, and does it change with the subject?

Hjælper is the present tense of the verb at hjælpe (to help).

infinitive: (at) hjælpe = to help
present: hjælper = help / helps
past: hjalp = helped
perfect: har hjulpet = has / have helped

Danish verbs do not change form for different persons:

Jeg hjælper. = I help.
Du hjælper. = You help.
Han/hun hjælper. = He/she helps.
Vi hjælper. = We help.
De hjælper. = They help.

So forælderen hjælper = the parent helps.

Why do we need med in hjælper barnet med lektierne? Can we leave it out?

You cannot leave out med here.

Danish verb patterns:

hjælpe nogen = help someone
- Forælderen hjælper barnet. = The parent helps the child.
hjælpe med noget = help with something
- Forælderen hjælper med lektierne. = The parent helps with the homework.
hjælpe nogen med noget = help someone with something
- Forælderen hjælper barnet med lektierne.

So med is required to express “with” in the sense of helping with a task.

Could you also say Forælderen hjælper barnet med sine lektier? What’s the difference?

Yes, that’s also possible, and it’s slightly more explicit.

med lektierne = with the homework (understood from context; normally the child’s homework)
med sine lektier = with his/her own homework

Sine is a reflexive possessive pronoun that refers back to the subject of the sentence (forælderen here). But in practice, when you say:

Forælderen hjælper barnet med sine lektier, it usually still means “the child’s homework”, because it’s the child who has homework.

To avoid any ambiguity, many speakers just say:

Forælderen hjælper barnet med lektierne.
Context normally makes it clear whose homework it is.

Is the word order Forælderen hjælper barnet med lektierne fixed, or can we move things around?

The basic word order in statements is Subject – Verb – Object – Other elements, which is what you see here:

Forælderen (subject)
hjælper (verb)
barnet (object)
med lektierne (prepositional phrase)

You can move med lektierne for emphasis, but the verb must still be in second position:

Med lektierne hjælper forælderen barnet.
(Fronted for emphasis on “with the homework”; sounds a bit formal/marked.)

In normal, neutral speech, the original order is the most natural.

How would this sentence look as a yes–no question in Danish?

Danish keeps the verb in second position, even in questions, but moves part of the sentence in front. For a simple yes–no question, you typically put the subject after the verb:

Hjælper forælderen barnet med lektierne?
= Does the parent help the child with the homework?

Structure:

hjælper (verb)
forælderen (subject)
barnet (object)
med lektierne (prepositional phrase)

Is this sentence talking about some specific parent and child, or parents and children in general?

Grammatically, because everything is definite singular:

forælderen = the parent
barnet = the child
lektierne = the homework

…the default reading is that we’re talking about one specific parent, one specific child, and specific homework known in the context.

For a more general statement, Danish would more naturally use:

En forælder hjælper sit barn med lektierne.
= A parent helps his/her child with the homework.
Forældre hjælper ofte deres børn med lektierne.
= Parents often help their children with the homework.

So the given sentence is best understood as a specific situation, unless a broader context forces a generic reading.

What are the basic singular and plural forms of forælder, barn, and lektie?

Here’s a quick overview:

forælder (parent, common gender)

en forælder = a parent
forælderen = the parent
forældre = parents
forældrene = the parents

barn (child, neuter)

et barn = a child
barnet = the child
børn = children (irregular plural)
børnene = the children

lektie (homework task / lesson, common gender)

en lektie = a homework task
lektien = the homework task
lektier = homework / assignments (plural)
lektierne = the homework (the assignments)