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Tantes maleri hænger på væggen bag sofaen.

Tantes maleri hænger på væggen bag sofaen.
The aunt's painting hangs on the wall behind the sofa.
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Questions & Answers about Tantes maleri hænger på væggen bag sofaen.

What does tantes mean, and why does it end in -s?

Tantes is the genitive (possessive) form of tante (aunt).

  • tante = aunt
  • tantes = aunt’s

In Danish, you normally form the possessive of a noun by adding -s directly to the noun, without an extra apostrophe:

  • tante → tantes maleri = the aunt’s painting

So tantes maleri literally means “aunt’s painting” (usually understood as my/the aunt’s painting from context).

Why is there no word for a or the in front of maleri?

The noun maleri (“painting”) is already determined by the possessive tantes. In Danish, when a noun has a possessive in front of it (like tantes, min, vores, etc.), you normally:

  • do not use an article (en/et)
  • do not use the definite ending (-en / -et / -ene) on the noun

So you say:

  • tantes maleri (aunt’s painting)
  • min bog (my book)

and not:

  • tantes et maleri
  • min bogen
What gender is maleri, and how do I make the plural?

Maleri is a neuter noun (et-ord). Its basic forms are:

  • Indefinite singular: et maleri (a painting)
  • Definite singular: maleriet (the painting)
  • Indefinite plural: malerier (paintings)
  • Definite plural: malerierne (the paintings)

In the sentence, maleri is indefinite and possessed: tantes maleri (aunt’s painting).

What does hænger mean here, and when do I use it instead of står or ligger?

Hænger is the present tense of at hænge and here means “is hanging / hangs”. Danish uses different verbs for different kinds of positions:

  • hænger – when something is hanging (on a wall, on a hook, from the ceiling)
  • står – when something is standing upright (a vase on the table, a bottle on the floor)
  • ligger – when something is lying (a book on the table, a person on the sofa)

So a painting on a wall hænger på væggen; it doesn’t stand or lie there.

Why is it på væggen and not i væggen?

På means on (on a surface), while i means in / inside something. A painting is on the surface of the wall, so Danish uses på:

  • på væggen = on the wall
  • i væggen would suggest something is inside the wall (e.g. ledningerne i væggen – the cables in the wall)

So hænger på væggen is the normal expression for something hanging on a wall.

Why is it væggen and not den væg?

Danish usually marks definiteness by adding an ending to the noun, instead of putting “the” in front:

  • en væg = a wall
  • væggen = the wall

You only use den væg when you want to point out or contrast something (more like “that wall / this wall”):

  • Den væg er blå. = That wall is blue.

In a neutral description like this sentence, på væggen (“on the wall”) is the natural choice.

What does bag mean, and how is bag sofaen constructed?

Bag is a preposition meaning behind (in a spatial sense). The structure is:

  • bag + definite noun → bag sofaen = behind the sofa

So:

  • foran sofaen = in front of the sofa
  • bag sofaen = behind the sofa

You may also hear bagved sofaen; bag and bagved are both used, with bag being a bit more neutral and simple.

Why is it sofaen and not sofaet?

Sofa is a common gender noun (en-ord), not neuter:

  • en sofa = a sofa
  • sofaen = the sofa

-et is the definite ending for neuter nouns (et-ord), like:

  • et hus → huset (a house → the house)

Since sofa is an en-word, the definite form is sofaen, not sofaet.

Is the word order Tantes maleri hænger på væggen bag sofaen flexible?

The basic order here is Subject – Verb – Adverbial:

  • Subject: Tantes maleri
  • Verb: hænger
  • Adverbial (place): på væggen bag sofaen

You can move the place phrase to the front for emphasis, but Danish keeps the finite verb in second position in a main clause:

  • På væggen bag sofaen hænger tantes maleri.

Both versions are correct; the difference is mainly what you want to emphasize (the location vs. the painting).

How would I say my aunt’s painting or the painting of my aunt in Danish?

For my aunt’s painting, you say:

  • min tantes maleri = my aunt’s painting

For the painting of my aunt, Danish would typically say:

  • et maleri af min tante = a painting of my aunt (a painting that shows her)
  • maleriet af min tante = the painting of my aunt

Note the nuance:

  • min tantes maleri usually means she owns the painting.
  • et/maleriet af min tante usually means the painting depicts her.
How do you pronounce the difficult sounds in hænger, væggen, and bag?

Very roughly, in English-like spelling:

  • hænger ≈ HENG-er

    • æ like the a in “cat”, but a bit more open
    • ng like in “sing”
    • Final -er is a weak -uh sound

  • væggen ≈ VEH-gen (with a small “catch” in the voice on the vowel)

    • væ similar to English “ve” in “very” but with æ as in “cat”
    • The gg is soft; you don’t fully pronounce a hard g-g
    • -en is a weak -en / -n syllable

  • bag ≈ BAU (like “bow” in English)

    • The g is usually very soft or almost silent in modern Danish.

These are only rough guides; listening to native audio will help fix the exact Danish sounds.