Parkeringspladsen bag huset er lille, men vi fandt heldigvis en plads.

Because parkeringspladsen is the definite form: the parking lot / the parking area.

In Danish, definiteness is usually added to the end of the noun:

• en parkeringsplads = a parking space / a parking lot
• parkeringspladsen = the parking space / the parking lot

So Parkeringspladsen bag huset means the parking lot behind the house.

It is a compound noun:

• parkering = parking
• plads = place, space
• parkeringsplads = parking space / parking lot
• parkeringspladsen = the parking space / the parking lot

This is very common in Danish: several ideas are combined into one word.

In Danish, bag is a preposition meaning behind.

So:

• bag huset = behind the house

You normally just use bag + noun:

• bag bilen = behind the car
• bag døren = behind the door
• bag huset = behind the house

You do not usually need af here.

Because hus is a neuter noun (et hus = a house), and its definite singular form is:

• et hus = a house
• huset = the house

So:

• bag huset = behind the house

This is a good example of Danish noun gender affecting the article and the definite ending.

Because parkeringspladsen is based on en parkeringsplads, which is a common-gender noun.

With adjectives used after er (predicative adjectives), Danish usually shows agreement with gender:

• en parkeringsplads er lille = a parking lot is small
• et hus er lillet would be wrong
• et hus er lillet? No — the correct form is et hus er lillet? Actually with lille, the neuter does not become lillet. Lille is irregular and usually stays lille.

So here:

• Parkeringspladsen ... er lille = The parking lot ... is small

A useful point: lille is unusual. Many adjectives do add -t in the neuter:

• et hus er småt = a house is small

But lille stays lille.

Yes. It is one of the adjectives learners notice early because it does not behave quite like many others.

For example:

• en lille bil = a small car
• et lille hus = a small house
• bilen er lille = the car is small
• huset er lille = the house is small

So lille stays lille in these forms.

By contrast, many adjectives change in the neuter:

• en stor bil
• et stort hus

Because men means but and is a coordinating conjunction.

After a coordinating conjunction like men, Danish usually keeps normal main-clause word order:

• men vi fandt heldigvis en plads
• but we luckily found a space

So the subject vi comes before the verb fandt.

This is different from some other words that trigger inversion, such as sentence adverbs or fronted elements:

• I går fandt vi en plads = Yesterday we found a space

There, I går comes first, so the verb comes before the subject.

Both can be correct, but they mean slightly different things in use.

• vi fandt = we found
  This is the simple past and is very common in narration.
• vi har fundet = we have found
  This connects the action more directly to the present.

In this sentence, vi fandt heldigvis en plads sounds like a straightforward past event in a story or report: we luckily found a spot.

Heldigvis means fortunately / luckily.

In the clause:

• vi fandt heldigvis en plads

it appears after the finite verb fandt. That is a very normal position for this kind of adverb in Danish main clauses.

Compare:

• Vi fandt heldigvis en plads. = We fortunately found a spot.
• Heldigvis fandt vi en plads. = Fortunately, we found a spot.

Both are possible, but the emphasis is slightly different. Putting heldigvis first gives it a bit more focus.

Because plads is a very flexible Danish word. It can mean:

• place
• room
• space
• spot
• seat

In parking contexts, en plads often means a parking space / a spot.

So in this sentence:

• vi fandt heldigvis en plads

the natural meaning is we luckily found a parking spot.

Because the two words refer to slightly different things here:

• parkeringspladsen = the parking area / parking lot behind the house
• en plads = a single available parking space in that area

So the sentence means something like:

• The parking lot behind the house is small, but luckily we found a spot.

English also often does this:

• The parking lot is small, but we found a space.

It can mean either, depending on context.

• It may mean a parking lot / parking area
• It may also mean a parking space

In this sentence, because it says Parkeringspladsen bag huset er lille, it sounds most naturally like the parking area behind the house is small. Then en plads refers to one spot in it.

Because Danish normally uses a comma before a conjunction like men when it links two clauses.

Here the two clauses are:

• Parkeringspladsen bag huset er lille
• men vi fandt heldigvis en plads

So the comma helps separate them clearly.

Yes:

• Parkeringspladsen bag huset er lille, men heldigvis fandt vi en plads.

This is also correct. It gives heldigvis more emphasis.

Compare:

• ... men vi fandt heldigvis en plads.
  More neutral.
• ... men heldigvis fandt vi en plads.
  Stronger focus on fortunately.

A learner mainly needs to notice two things:

1. It is one long compound word.
2. The main stress is usually on the first part: PArkeringspladsen.

You do not need to pronounce every written sound very strongly. In natural speech, the word flows together quite smoothly.

A practical learner approach is to break it into parts first:

• parkering
• plads
• -en

Then say it as one word.

Usually yes, depending on context.

• bag huset literally means behind the house
• In natural English, that can sometimes be at the back of the house

In this sentence, behind the house is the most direct translation.

It is:

• [Definite noun phrase] + [location phrase] + [verb] + [adjective], men + [subject] + [past verb] + [adverb] + [object]

Broken down:

• Parkeringspladsen = the parking lot
• bag huset = behind the house
• er = is
• lille = small
• men = but
• vi = we
• fandt = found
• heldigvis = fortunately / luckily
• en plads = a space / a spot

This is a very useful sentence for seeing how Danish combines noun forms, prepositions, adjective use, and normal main-clause word order.