Learn Hardcore Danish: Forældrenes beslutning om ferien løser et gammelt problem. - The parents’ decision about the vacation solves an old problem.

add -s directly to the word
do not use an apostrophe for normal nouns:
- Peter → Peters bil (Peter’s car)
- forældre → forældrenes beslutning (the parents’ decision)

An apostrophe may appear with some names in informal writing, but the basic rule is: possessive is just -s, no apostrophe.

Why is there no article before forældrenes beslutning? Why not something like den forældrenes beslutning?

In Danish, a possessive (like forældrenes) already makes the noun phrase definite, so you normally do not add a separate definite article.

Compare:

beslutning = a decision
beslutningen = the decision
forældrenes beslutning = the parents’ decision (already specific/definite)

You cannot say den forældrenes beslutning; that would be ungrammatical.
The pattern is:

Peters bil (Peter’s car), not den Peters bil
Byens park (the city’s park), not den byens park
Forældrenes beslutning (the parents’ decision), not den forældrenes beslutning

Why is it beslutning om ferien and not beslutning af ferien or beslutning på ferien?

The preposition om is used for decisions, discussions, thoughts etc. about or concerning something.

Common patterns:

en beslutning om X = a decision about X
at tale om X = to talk about X
at tænke over / på X = to think about X (different nuance)

In this sentence, om ferien means about the holiday.

af would usually mean by (the agent) or of in other senses, e.g. beslutning af regeringen = decision by the government.
på is used for on, at, in (e.g., på bordet, på skolen), not with beslutning in this meaning.

So beslutning om ferien is the standard, idiomatic way to say decision about the holiday.

What is the difference between ferie and ferien here? Why is it ferien?

Ferie is the base noun; ferien is the definite form, the holiday.

Indefinite singular: en ferie = a holiday / a vacation
Definite singular: ferien = the holiday
Indefinite plural: ferier = holidays
Definite plural: ferierne = the holidays

In the sentence, om ferien refers to a specific, known holiday (for example, this year’s summer holiday), not holidays in general. That is why the definite form ferien is used.

If you said om ferie, it would sound more general, like about holidays (in general).

What form of the verb is løser, and how would I say solved or is solving in Danish?

Løser is the present tense of the verb at løse (to solve). The basic forms are:

Infinitive: at løse = to solve
Present: løser = solve(s) / is solving
Past (preterite): løste = solved
Perfect: har løst = have/has solved
Past participle: løst

Danish does not have a separate continuous form like English is solving.
Both solves and is solving are usually just løser, depending on context:

Forældrenes beslutning om ferien løser et gammelt problem.
= The decision solves / is solving an old problem.

If you really want to stress the ongoing nature, you can say:

… er i gang med at løse et gammelt problem
= … is in the process of solving an old problem.

Can Danish present tense løser also refer to the future, like English is going to solve / will solve?

Yes. Danish often uses the simple present tense to talk about the future, just like English does in sentences such as We leave tomorrow.

Depending on context, løser can mean:

present time:
- The decision currently solves an old problem.
future time:
- The decision (when carried out) will solve an old problem.

You can add time expressions to make the future meaning clear:

Forældrenes beslutning om ferien løser et gammelt problem til sommer.
= … will solve an old problem this summer.

There are also explicit future constructions (e.g. kommer til at løse, vil løse), but the plain present løser is very commonly used with future reference.

Why is it et gammelt problem and not en gammelt problem or et gamle problem?

This is about gender and adjective agreement.

Problem is a neuter noun in Danish.
- Indefinite article: et problem (not en problem)
With an indefinite, singular, neuter noun, the adjective gets -t:
- et gammelt problem = an old problem
- et stort problem = a big problem

Compare with a common gender noun:

en gammel bil (a/an old car) – noun is common gender (en) → adjective has no -t
et gammelt hus (an old house) – noun is neuter (et) → adjective gets -t

For plural nouns, you normally use gamle:

gamle problemer = old problems (indefinite)
de gamle problemer = the old problems (definite)

So et gammelt problem is the only correct form here.

Could the word order be different? For example, can I start the sentence with Et gammelt problem?

Yes, you can change the word order for emphasis, as long as you respect the Danish V2 rule: the finite verb must come in second position in main clauses.

Original (neutral order, subject first):

Forældrenes beslutning om ferien (subject) løser (verb) et gammelt problem (object).

If you front the object et gammelt problem for emphasis, the verb must still be second:

Et gammelt problem løser forældrenes beslutning om ferien.

This is grammatically correct but sounds more marked / stylistic. It puts special focus on et gammelt problem, almost like:

An old problem – that is what the parents’ decision about the holiday solves.

The most natural, neutral version is still the original word order with the subject first and løser as the second element.

What is the difference between Forældrenes beslutning om ferien and Beslutningen om ferien fra forældrene?

Both can be understood, but they are not equally natural and can have slightly different nuances.

Forældrenes beslutning om ferien
- Very natural and compact.
- Straightforwardly means the parents’ decision about the holiday.
- Focus is on the parents as the ones who made the decision.
Beslutningen om ferien fra forældrene
- Grammatically possible but more clumsy.
- Can be heard as the decision about the holiday from the parents (for example, something the parents sent or communicated).
- The phrase fra forældrene feels more like coming from the parents rather than a clear genitive.

In everyday Danish, the possessive forældrenes beslutning is the normal, idiomatic way to say the parents’ decision.

How do you pronounce the difficult parts, especially forældrenes and løser?

Approximate standard Danish pronunciations (not all dialects are identical):

forældrenes ≈ foh-EL-drə-ness
- fo-: like fo in for but shorter, often a bit reduced.
- -ræl-: æ like e in bed; the d is very soft, often almost like the th in this or barely audible.
- -dre-: e again like bed, but in unstressed position it can sound like a schwa (an uh sound).
- Final -nes: also weakly pronounced, roughly ness with a very short vowel.
løser ≈ LØH-suh
- lø-: ø is like French deux or German schön – a rounded e sound.
- -ser: the s is [s], and the final -er is usually a weak uh sound (-suh).

Key tips for English speakers:

Unstressed -en / -et / -er / -nes often reduce to something like uh or nəs.
The Danish d between vowels or after l, n is often very soft or nearly silent.
The r is usually a back-of-the-throat sound, not an English r.

You do not need perfect phonetics to be understood, but aiming for the reduced, soft endings and a clear ø vowel in løser will make your pronunciation sound much more natural.