Log inSign up

Venteværelset er stille, mens jeg læser avisen.

Venteværelset er stille, mens jeg læser avisen.
The waiting room is quiet while I read the newspaper.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Danish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Danish now

Questions & Answers about Venteværelset er stille, mens jeg læser avisen.

Why is it Venteværelset with -et at the end?

Because vente-værelse (waiting room) is a neuter noun (et venteværelse). In Danish, the definite singular is formed by adding a suffix:

  • et venteværelse = a waiting room (indefinite)
  • venteværelset = the waiting room (definite)

So -et marks “the” for a neuter noun.

How do I know it’s et venteværelse (neuter) and not en venteværelse?

Gender is mostly lexical in Danish—you learn it with the noun. Many nouns ending in -else, -hed, etc. are predictable, but -værelse nouns are typically neuter:

  • et værelse (a room)
  • et soveværelse (a bedroom)
  • et venteværelse (a waiting room)
Why is the word order Venteværelset er stille and not something like Er venteværelset stille?

Danish main-clause word order is usually Subject – Verb – … (SVO), like English:

  • Venteværelset (subject) er (verb) stille (predicate)

Er venteværelset stille? is the question form (verb-first).

What does stille mean here, and does it need agreement (like “quiet/quieter”)?

stille means quiet / silent. In this sentence it’s used as a predicate adjective after er (to be). Danish adjectives sometimes take -t or -e depending on gender/definiteness, but stille is one of the adjectives that typically doesn’t change here—it stays stille.

(You’ll also see stille as an adverb meaning quietly, but here it describes the room.)

Why is it mens and not når or imens?

mens means while and is very common for two actions happening at the same time:

  • … mens jeg læser avisen = … while I read the newspaper

når is more like when and often implies a general/habitual situation or a point in time (though it can overlap).
imens also means while, but it can sound a bit more formal or emphasize “in the meantime.” mens is the default choice.

Why does the subordinate clause use jeg læser (subject before verb) instead of Danish “verb-second”?

Because after mens you have a subordinate clause, and Danish subordinate clauses typically have subject–verb order (not V2):

  • Main clause: Venteværelset er stille (V2 rule applies)
  • Subordinate clause: mens jeg læser avisen (subject jeg comes before verb læser)
Why is there a comma before mens?

In Danish, it’s standard to put a comma before a subordinate clause introduced by a conjunction like mens:

  • Venteværelset er stille, mens jeg læser avisen.

This comma is very typical in Danish writing (even more so than in English).

Why is it jeg and not mig?

Because jeg is the subject form (I), used before the verb:

  • jeg læser = I read / I am reading

mig is the object form (me) and would be used after a verb or preposition:

  • Han ser mig = He sees me
What tense is læser, and does it mean “read” or “am reading”?

læser is present tense. Like English, Danish present tense can cover both:

  • I read the newspaper (habitual)
  • I am reading the newspaper (right now)

Context decides; with mens it strongly suggests an ongoing action: “while I’m reading the newspaper.”

Why is it avisen with -en and not aviset?

Because avis (newspaper) is a common-gender noun (en avis). The definite singular for en-words is -en:

  • en avis = a newspaper
  • avisen = the newspaper

Neuter nouns (et-words) take -et instead.

Could I also say jeg læser en avis instead of jeg læser avisen?

Yes, but it changes the nuance:

  • jeg læser avisen = I’m reading the newspaper (a specific one, or “the paper” as a familiar thing)
  • jeg læser en avis = I’m reading a newspaper (non-specific)

Both are grammatically correct.

Why is venteværelse written as one word?

Because Danish (like German) normally forms compound nouns as one word:

  • vente (waiting) + værelse (room) → venteværelse (waiting room)

In English you usually write it as two words (waiting room), but in Danish the default is a single compound.

Is Venteværelset capitalized because it’s a noun?
No. Danish does not capitalize all nouns (unlike German). It’s capitalized here only because it’s the first word of the sentence. Mid-sentence it would be lowercase: venteværelset.