Breakdown of Efter maden står der meget opvask, og jeg er ved at blive træt.
Questions & Answers about Efter maden står der meget opvask, og jeg er ved at blive træt.
Efter maden uses the definite form maden (“the food/meal”), which in Danish often functions like “after the meal.”
- efter mad = more like “after food/in terms of eating” (more general/abstract)
- efter måltidet = “after the meal” too, but måltid is slightly more formal/neutral than mad in everyday speech
In casual Danish, efter maden is a very common way to say “after eating/after the meal.”
In Danish, stå can describe something that “is there / is waiting / remains,” especially about tasks or items left to deal with. So der står meget opvask is an idiomatic way to say there’s a lot of washing-up waiting.
Similar everyday uses:
- Der står en kage på bordet. (A cake is sitting/standing on the table.)
- Der står stadig noget arbejde og venter. (There’s still some work waiting.)
This der is an “existential” or “dummy” subject, like English there in “there is/are.” It helps introduce new information.
Pattern: Der + verb + noun
- Der står meget opvask. (There’s a lot of washing-up.)
You’ll see it with many verbs, not only være: der ligger…, der sidder…, der kommer…, der står….
Because Danish is a V2 language: in main clauses, the finite verb is typically in the second position. Here Efter maden is placed first, so the verb comes next:
- Efter maden (position 1) + står (position 2) + der
- meget opvask
Compare:
- meget opvask
- Der står meget opvask efter maden. (No fronting → står still follows der because der is now position 1.)
- Efter maden er jeg træt. (Same V2 idea.)
Opvask is usually an uncountable mass noun meaning “washing-up / dishes-to-wash” as an activity or a pile of dirty dishes. So you use meget (“much/a lot of”) rather than mange (“many”).
- meget opvask = a lot of washing-up / lots of dishes to do
You can count items instead: - mange tallerkener (many plates)
- mange glas (many glasses)
Yes, Der er meget opvask is perfectly correct and very common.
Using står adds a nuance: the washing-up is “sitting there waiting,” often implying it’s left over and needs doing. Der er… is more neutral.
at være ved at + infinitive means “to be in the process of / to be about to.” It often signals something developing right now.
So jeg er ved at blive træt = you’re in the process of becoming tired (you can feel it coming on).
være træt describes a state: you are tired already.
blive træt describes a change into that state: you’re getting tired / becoming tired.
So this sentence highlights the progression: you weren’t necessarily tired earlier, but you are turning tired now.
Yes. Depending on context, er ved at can mean either:
- in the process of (it’s already happening)
- about to (it’s imminent)
With blive træt, it often feels like “I’m getting tired,” but “I’m about to get tired” can work if the context supports it (e.g., you’ve been up late and can feel it approaching).
Because two independent main clauses are joined:
1) Efter maden står der meget opvask
2) jeg er ved at blive træt
In Danish, it’s common (and often recommended) to put a comma before og when it connects two full clauses with their own subjects/verbs.
You’ll often see both styles in practice, but this comma is very normal and helps readability.