Hun er ikke længere syg.

Breakdown of Hun er ikke længere syg.

være
to be
hun
she
syg
sick
ikke længere
no longer

Questions & Answers about Hun er ikke længere syg.

Why does Danish use ikke længere here? What does længere mean?

Ikke længere is a very common expression meaning no longer or not ... anymore.

On its own, længere usually means longer or farther, depending on context. But after ikke, it often has a time meaning:

  • ikke længere = no longer
  • literally something like not longer

So in this sentence, you should understand ikke længere as one unit of meaning.

Examples:

  • Jeg bor ikke længere i Aarhus. = I no longer live in Aarhus.
  • Han arbejder ikke længere her. = He no longer works here.
Why is the word order Hun er ikke længere syg and not Hun ikke er længere syg?

Because Danish main clauses normally follow the V2 rule: the finite verb comes in the second position.

Here:

  • Hun = subject
  • er = finite verb
  • ikke længere = negation/adverbial part
  • syg = adjective

So the normal order is:

Hun + er + ikke længere + syg

In Danish, ikke usually comes after the finite verb in a normal main clause.

Compare:

  • Hun er ikke hjemme.
  • Jeg forstår det ikke.
  • Vi kommer ikke i morgen.

English speakers often want to place not directly before the verb, but Danish usually does not do that in a simple main clause.

Could I also say Hun er ikke syg længere?

Yes, many speakers would understand that, and it can sound natural in speech.

Both of these are possible:

  • Hun er ikke længere syg
  • Hun er ikke syg længere

The version with ikke længere together is often felt to be a bit more standard or neatly phrased, especially in writing.

A simple way to think about it:

  • ikke længere syg strongly treats no longer as one time expression
  • ikke syg længere is also natural and common, especially conversationally

So as a learner, Hun er ikke længere syg is an excellent model to use.

Why is it syg and not sygt or syge?

Because the adjective agrees with the subject.

Here, hun refers to one person, and for a singular common-gender subject, the basic adjective form is used:

  • hun er syg = she is sick

Compare:

  • et barn er sygt = a child is sick
  • de er syge = they are sick

So:

  • common gender singular / person: syg
  • neuter singular: sygt
  • plural: syge

That is why syg is correct here.

Why is it er and not bliver?

Because er describes a state, while bliver describes a change.

  • Hun er ikke længere syg = She is no longer sick.
    This talks about her current condition.

  • Hun bliver ikke længere syg would mean something more like She no longer gets sick or She doesn’t become sick anymore, which is a different idea.

So if you want to say that she used to be sick but now she is not, er is the right verb.

Is ikke mere also possible instead of ikke længere?

Sometimes, yes, but ikke længere is usually the best choice here.

Both can sometimes correspond to English not anymore, but they are not always identical.

  • ikke længere is the clearest and most standard way to mean no longer in time
  • ikke mere often means no more, not anymore, or not any more, and can sometimes sound more colloquial or depend more on context

For this sentence, Hun er ikke længere syg is the safest and most natural choice.

A useful rule:

  • For a state that has changed over time, ikke længere is often preferred.
Does syg only mean physical illness, or can it also mean something like ill in a broader sense?

Syg usually means sick / ill, and it can be used quite broadly.

It can refer to:

  • physical illness
  • general unwellness
  • being off sick

Examples:

  • Jeg er syg. = I am sick / ill.
  • Hun er stadig syg. = She is still sick.
  • Han meldte sig syg. = He called in sick.

In some contexts, Danish may use more specific words if needed, but syg is the normal everyday word.

How would a Dane usually pronounce længere and syg?

A rough guide:

  • syg sounds somewhat like süüg to English ears, with a rounded vowel that English does not really have
  • længere begins with læng-, where æ is somewhat like the vowel in cat, though not exactly, and the whole word is usually pronounced smoothly rather than very clearly syllable by syllable

A few pronunciation notes:

  • g in Danish is often softer than English speakers expect
  • the y in syg is a front rounded vowel, which many English speakers find difficult at first
  • længere is not pronounced the way its spelling might suggest to an English speaker

If you want a simple learner-friendly approximation:

  • sygsoog with rounded lips
  • længereLENG-er-uh, but this is only approximate
If I start the sentence with something else, does the word order change?

Yes. Because Danish is a V2 language, the finite verb still has to stay in the second position.

For example:

  • Hun er ikke længere syg.
  • Nu er hun ikke længere syg.
  • I dag er hun ikke længere syg.

Notice what happens:

  • when Hun comes first, the verb is er
  • when Nu or I dag comes first, er still stays second, and the subject moves after it

So Danish word order is very sensitive to what comes first in the sentence.

Is Hun er ikke længere syg a neutral, natural sentence in Danish?

Yes. It is completely natural, neutral, and idiomatic.

It sounds like normal standard Danish and would fit well in both speech and writing.

It is a very useful model sentence because it shows:

  • normal main-clause word order
  • the common expression ikke længere
  • adjective agreement with hun
  • the verb er used for a present state

So this is exactly the kind of sentence worth learning as a pattern.

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