Questions & Answers about Lyden af vinden er rolig i haven.
Why do lyden, vinden, and haven all end in -en?
In Danish, the definite article (“the”) is usually attached to the end of the noun:
- lyd = sound → lyden = the sound
- vind = wind → vinden = the wind
- have = garden → haven = the garden
All three are common gender nouns (en-words):
- en lyd, en vind, en have
So when you want the sound / the wind / the garden, you add -en (or -n after an e as in have → haven).
Why is it lyden af vinden and not vindens lyd?
Both are grammatically correct:
- Lyden af vinden = literally “the sound of the wind”
- Vindens lyd = literally “the wind’s sound”
Differences:
- Lyden af vinden is more everyday, neutral, and very common in spoken Danish.
- Vindens lyd can sound a bit more poetic, compact, or written/literary.
In normal conversation, Danes would usually prefer lyden af vinden here. The meaning is effectively the same.
What exactly does af do here, and why not fra?