Hun fortæller sin veninde om filmen i stuen.
She tells her friend about the movie in the living room.
Breakdown of Hun fortæller sin veninde om filmen i stuen.
i
in
hun
she
stuen
the living room
sin
her (reflexive, common gender, singular)
Questions & Answers about Hun fortæller sin veninde om filmen i stuen.
Why is it sin veninde and not hendes veninde?
Because sin/sit/sine is the reflexive possessive in Danish. It is used when the owner is the subject of the clause.
In Hun fortæller sin veninde ..., the subject is hun, and the friend belongs to her, so Danish uses sin.
- Hun fortæller sin veninde ... = She tells her own female friend ...
- Hun fortæller hendes veninde ... = She tells another woman’s female friend ...
This is one of the most important differences from English, since English just uses her for both meanings.
Why is it sin and not sit or sine?
The form depends on the gender and number of the noun being possessed, not on the person who owns it.
Here the possessed noun is veninde, which is a common gender singular noun, so you use sin.
The pattern is:
- sin
- common gender singular noun
- sit
- neuter singular noun
- sine
- plural noun
Examples:
- Hun elsker sin bil. = She loves her car.
- Hun elsker sit hus. = She loves her house.
- Hun elsker sine børn. = She loves her children.