Log inSign up

Kom ind i stuen, for det er koldt udenfor.

Kom ind i stuen, for det er koldt udenfor.
Come into the living room, because it is cold outside.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Danish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Danish now

Questions & Answers about Kom ind i stuen, for det er koldt udenfor.

Why does Kom come first, and what form of the verb is it?

Because it’s an imperative (a command). In Danish, imperatives typically use the verb stem as the whole form:

  • at komme → imperative kom
    So Kom ind i stuen = Come in (into the living room).
What does kom ind mean exactly—are kom and ind a set expression?

Yes, kom ind works like a Danish verb + direction combination.

  • kom = come
  • ind = in/inside (direction of movement)
    Together: come in (enter). You’ll see many similar pairs: gå ud, kom op, tag ned, etc.
Why is it i stuen and not til stuen?

i is used for being/moving into an enclosed space (inside something): i stuen = in/into the living room.
til usually means to/towards a destination without emphasizing being inside it, and it’s common with places like events or institutions (e.g., til fest, til lægen) rather than rooms in a home.
So Kom ind i stuen is the natural choice.

Why is it stuen (with -en) and not en stue?

stuen is the definite form: the living room.
Danish often uses the definite form when talking about a specific, known room (especially in a home):

  • en stue = a living room (any living room)
  • stuen = the living room (the one we both know)
What’s the function of for here? Is it the same as English for?

Here for is a conjunction meaning because/for, introducing a reason:
Kom ind i stuen, for det er koldt udenfor. = Come into the living room, because it’s cold outside.
It’s close to English for in the sense “because” (more written/neutral), but in Danish it’s very common and normal in speech too.

What is the difference between for and fordi in this kind of sentence?

Both can mean because, but the grammar differs:

  • With for, you keep main clause word order after it:
    ..., for det er koldt. (subject det before verb er)

  • With fordi, you often get subordinate clause word order (verb later), especially in more careful/written Danish:
    ..., fordi det er koldt. (also subject before verb here—this one looks the same)
    But with other verbs, the difference becomes clearer (verb placement with adverbs, etc.).

Also, fordi is the more direct “because”; for can feel a bit like “for / since” giving an explanation.

Why is there a comma before for?

Because for joins two independent clauses (two full sentences):
1) Kom ind i stuen (imperative clause)
2) det er koldt udenfor (statement clause)

In Danish, it’s standard to put a comma before coordinating conjunctions like for when they connect two main clauses.

Why does Danish say det er koldt—what is det referring to?

Here det is a dummy subject (like English it in It is cold). It doesn’t refer to a specific thing; it just fills the required subject slot in the sentence:

  • Det er koldt. = It’s cold.
Where does udenfor go, and could it be placed elsewhere?

udenfor is an adverb meaning outside. Placing it at the end is very natural:

  • det er koldt udenfor = it’s cold outside

You can also front it for emphasis (more marked):

  • Udenfor er det koldt. = Outside, it’s cold.
Is Kom ind i stuen polite, or is it too direct?

It’s a normal, friendly imperative—often perfectly polite in context (inviting someone in). Danish uses imperatives more freely than English in everyday situations.
If you want it softer, you can add:

  • Kom lige ind i stuen (roughly: just/come on in)
  • Vil du komme ind i stuen? (Would you come in?)
How is stuen pronounced, and why does it look like it has -en but doesn’t sound like a clear -en?

In many Danish words, the definite ending -en is often reduced in speech, and Danish consonants/vowels can be less clearly pronounced than spelling suggests. stuen is typically pronounced roughly like STU-en, but with a very soft d-less flow and a reduced ending. (Exact pronunciation varies by accent.)

Could you replace koldt with kold?

Not here. You use koldt because it’s the neuter form of the adjective kold, and it agrees with det (which patterns as neuter in this construction):

  • common gender: en bil er kold (rare context, but form is kold)
  • neuter: et hus er koldt
  • dummy subject: det er koldt (fixed pattern: koldt)