Learn Hardcore Danish: Jeg spørger, hvem der kommer til festen.

Jeg spørger = main clause.
hvem der kommer til festen = subordinate clause functioning as the object of spørger (what you’re asking about).

Under the older comma rules, this comma is required. Under the newer rules, it is often optional, so you may also see Jeg spørger hvem der kommer til festen without a comma. Both are accepted; what matters is that hvem der kommer til festen is understood as a single embedded clause.

What does der mean in the phrase hvem der kommer?

Here der does not mean English there. It is a kind of dummy subject marker used in many subordinate clauses.

In hvem der kommer, you can think of it this way:

hvem = who
der = marks that the following verb (kommer) belongs to that who as subject.
The whole phrase hvem der kommer = who (it is that) is coming.

So der doesn’t translate directly into English; it’s a grammatical helper word that signals the structure of the clause.

Why do we need der after hvem? Could we say Jeg spørger, hvem kommer til festen?

In subordinate clauses (like this indirect question), standard Danish normally requires der when hvem is the subject of the verb:

Direct question (main clause):
Hvem kommer til festen? – no der, verb in 2nd position (V2 word order).
Indirect question (subordinate clause):
Jeg spørger, hvem der kommer til festen. – subject-marker der, and no V2.

Jeg spørger, hvem kommer til festen sounds wrong to Danish ears, because it mixes main‑clause word order with a subordinate clause.

Some speakers may occasionally drop der (especially in casual speech), but for learners it’s safest to always say hvem der kommer in embedded clauses.

Is der here the same word as the der in sentences like Der er mange mennesker (“There are many people”)?

It’s the same written word, but the function is slightly different:

In Der er mange mennesker, der is an expletive subject (“dummy there”) with the verb er, comparable to English there in There are many people.
In hvem der kommer, der is more like a subject marker in an embedded clause, showing that the verb relates to the hvem.

So grammarians usually treat them as related types of dummy/placeholder subjects, but in both cases you normally don’t translate der into English word‑for‑word.

Why is the word order der kommer and not kommer der?

Danish has different word order in main clauses and subordinate clauses:

Main clause (direct question):
Hvem kommer til festen?
Verb (kommer) is in second position = V2 rule.
Subordinate clause (indirect question):
… hvem der kommer til festen.
Here you do not use V2. Instead, it’s subject – verb:
- subject/dummy: der
- verb: kommer

So der kommer is the normal subordinate clause order, while kommer der would sound like a main‑clause question and is wrong in this context.

Could I also say Jeg spørger om, hvem der kommer til festen?

Native speakers might occasionally say that, but it sounds heavier and is not necessary. Normally:

Use om for yes/no indirect questions:
- Jeg spørger, om du kommer til festen.
  = I am asking whether you are coming to the party.
Do not add om when you already have a wh‑word like hvem, hvad, hvor, hvornår:
- Jeg spørger, hvem der kommer til festen.
  = I am asking who is coming to the party.

So for clear, natural Danish, skip om in this sentence.

Why is it til festen and not til fest?

Both exist, but they mean different things:

til festen = to the party (a specific party that we know about).
- Jeg spørger, hvem der kommer til festen.
  = I’m asking who is coming to that particular party.
til fest = to (a) party / out partying, more general or indefinite.
- Vi skal til fest i aften.
  = We’re going to a party / going out to a party tonight (not specifying which).

In your sentence we’re clearly talking about one known, specific party, so til festen is the natural choice.

What is the difference between fest, en fest, and festen?

Danish usually marks definiteness with an ending on the noun:

fest = party (bare form, used in some fixed expressions or with no article).
en fest = a party (indefinite, singular, common gender).
festen = the party (definite singular, common gender).

So til festen literally has the built into the noun: fest + ‑en = the party. There is no separate article like English the in front of it.

How do you pronounce Jeg spørger, hvem der kommer til festen?

Very roughly in English‑style sounds, it might be something like:

Jeg ≈ yai (like English yai in yai!).
spørger ≈ spørr (the ø is like the vowel in British bird, but with rounded lips; the written -ger is often not clearly pronounced in everyday speech).
hvem ≈ vem (the hv is pronounced like a v in modern Danish).
der ≈ dair but usually very short and weak.
kommer ≈ kom‑mer with a short o (like in British com from come).
til ≈ til (close to English till).
festen ≈ FES-ten.

Spoken quickly, the whole sentence might sound like: Yai spørr, vem da kom-mer til FES-ten.

Does Jeg spørger, hvem der kommer til festen refer to the present or the future? Could it also mean “who will be coming”?

Danish present tense often covers both present and near future, depending on context:

Jeg spørger, hvem der kommer til festen.
can mean:
- I’m (now) asking who is coming to the party (present situation), or
- I’m asking who will be coming to the party (tomorrow/tonight/etc.) (future event).

If you really want to stress the future aspect, you can say, for example:

Jeg spørger, hvem der vil komme til festen.
Jeg spørger, hvem der skal til festen.

But in everyday Danish, the simple kommer is usually enough and is very natural for a future party.