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Det er min veninde, der har fået et nyt job i byen.

Det er min veninde, der har fået et nyt job i byen.
It is my (female) friend who has gotten a new job in the city.
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Questions & Answers about Det er min veninde, der har fået et nyt job i byen.

Why does the sentence start with “Det er …” instead of just “Min veninde har fået et nyt job i byen.”?

“Det er … der …” is a very common Danish structure called a cleft sentence. It’s used to emphasise one part of the sentence.

  • Det er min veninde, der har fået et nyt job i byen.
    = It is my friend who has got a new job in town. (emphasis on my friend)

  • Min veninde har fået et nyt job i byen.
    = My friend has got a new job in town. (neutral statement)

So both are correct, but “Det er … der …” puts focus on who got the job, often in contrast to someone else (e.g. not my brother, but my friend).

What does “der” mean here? Isn’t “der” usually “there”?

Yes, “der” can mean “there”, but in this sentence it has a different function.

Here, “der” is a relative pronoun, similar to “who/that” in English:

  • Det er min veninde, der har fået et nyt job i byen.
    = It is my friend *who has got a new job in town.*

Some key points:

  • In this kind of clause, “der” refers back to “min veninde”.
  • It introduces a relative clause: “der har fået et nyt job i byen”.
  • In this clause, “der” is the subject (the one who has got the job).

So here, “der” ≈ “who/that”, not “there”.

Why is there a comma before “der”?

The comma marks the boundary between the main clause and the relative clause:

  • Main clause: Det er min veninde
  • Relative clause: der har fået et nyt job i byen

Traditional Danish punctuation almost always puts a comma before “som” and “der” when they start a relative clause.

Under newer rules, this comma is often still used and always correct, but in some systems it can be optional. For learners, it’s safe and standard to keep the comma there.

What is the difference between “ven” and “veninde”?

Both relate to “friend”, but there is a gender difference:

  • ven
    • Traditionally: male friend
    • In modern language: often used gender-neutrally (“friend” in general)
  • veninde
    • Specifically: female friend

Important: “veninde” does not automatically mean “girlfriend” in the romantic sense.
For a romantic partner, Danish usually uses “kæreste” (regardless of gender).

Is “veninde” always used for a female friend, or can I just use “ven”?

You can just use “ven”, and many Danes do that, especially in more gender-neutral or modern usage.

  • min veninde — clearly a female friend (non-romantic by default)
  • min ven — could be male, or simply “my friend” without focusing on gender

If you want to make it clear she is female (and not your romantic partner), “veninde” is the most natural choice in this sentence.

Why is it “har fået” and not “fik” or “får”?

“har fået” is the present perfect (has got / has received):

  • har = “has” (present tense of at have = to have)
  • fået = past participle of at få (to get/receive)

So:

  • har fået = has got / has received / has obtained

Other options:

  • fik = simple past: got (at a specific time in the past)
    • Hun fik et nyt job i byen i 2020. = She got a new job in town in 2020.
  • får = present: gets / is getting
    • Hun får et nyt job i byen næste måned. = She’s getting a new job in town next month.

In “har fået”, the job change is recent or relevant to now, which fits well with everyday conversation.

What does “har fået” literally mean, and why not just say “har et nyt job”?

Literally:

  • har = has
  • fået = got / received / obtained

So “har fået et nyt job” = has got a new job (she obtained it).

If you say:

  • Hun har et nyt job.
    = She has a new job. (focus: her current situation)

  • Hun har fået et nyt job.
    = She has got a new job. (focus: the change or the news)

In this sentence, we’re typically announcing news, so “har fået” is more natural.

Why is it “et nyt job” and not “en ny job”?

Because “job” is a neuter noun in Danish.

  • Indefinite article:

    • en = common gender
    • et = neuter gender

  • job is neuter, so:

    • et job = a job
    • det job = the job

The adjective has to agree with neuter singular:

  • ny (common gender) → en ny bil (a new car)
  • nyt (neuter) → et nyt job (a new job)

So “et nyt job” is grammatically correct; “en ny job” would be wrong.

Why is it “i byen” and not just “i by” or “i en by”?

Danish marks definiteness on the noun itself, not with a separate “the”:

  • by = town/city
  • byen = the town / the city

So:

  • i byen = in the town / in town (a specific or contextually known town)
  • i en by = in a town / in some town (unspecified place)

You cannot say “i by” in standard Danish; you need either:

  • i en by (indefinite) or
  • i byen (definite)

In everyday speech, “i byen” also often just means in town (the local city centre).

Does “i byen” mean a particular city, or just “in town” in general?

It can mean either, depending on context.

  1. Specific city/town

    • If both speakers know which city they’re talking about:
      Hun har fået et nyt job i byen.
      = She has got a new job in the city (we’re talking about).

  2. “In town” (general/local)

    • Very commonly used to mean in town / downtown / in the city (where the shops, offices, etc. are):
      Jeg arbejder i byen. = I work in town.

Context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended.

Can I replace “der” with “som” in this sentence?

Yes:

  • Det er min veninde, der har fået et nyt job i byen.
  • Det er min veninde, som har fået et nyt job i byen.

Both are grammatically correct and mean the same thing:

It is my friend who has got a new job in town.

Some notes:

  • In subject relative clauses like this, “der” and “som” are usually interchangeable.
  • Many Danes slightly prefer “der” in this exact structure (“Det er … der …”), but “som” is fine.
Can I just say “Min veninde har fået et nyt job i byen.”? What is the difference in nuance?

Yes, that sentence is completely correct:

  • Min veninde har fået et nyt job i byen.
    = My (female) friend has got a new job in town.

Difference in nuance:

  • Min veninde har fået et nyt job i byen.
    • Neutral statement; you are just giving information.
  • Det er min veninde, der har fået et nyt job i byen.
    • Emphasises that she (and not someone else) is the one who got the job.
    • Often used for contrast or when clarifying who you’re talking about.
Could I say “Det er min veninde, der fik et nyt job i byen.” instead of “har fået”?

You can, but the meaning is slightly different:

  • Det er min veninde, der har fået et nyt job i byen.

    • It is my friend who has got a new job in town.
    • Present perfect ⇒ the new job is recent or relevant now.

  • Det er min veninde, der fik et nyt job i byen.

    • It is my friend who got a new job in town.
    • Simple past ⇒ focuses on the completed past event, often with a more specific time context.

In everyday conversation about recent news, “har fået” is usually the most natural choice.