Breakdown of Børnene har hver sin dyne, men katten sover helst på min.
katten
the cat
på
on
men
but
have
to have
Questions & Answers about Børnene har hver sin dyne, men katten sover helst på min.
Why is it børnene?
Because børnene is the definite plural form: the children.
The noun changes like this:
- et barn = a child
- barnet = the child
- børn = children
- børnene = the children
So this is also a good example of two important things in Danish:
- the plural of barn is irregular: børn
- the definite article is usually added as an ending: -ene here
What does hver sin dyne mean exactly?
It is a very common Danish pattern meaning one each or each their own.
So Børnene har hver sin dyne means that the children do not share one duvet; instead, each child has a separate one.
A useful way to learn it is as a chunk:
- hver sin / sit / sine
It is used when a group is involved, but the possession is distributed individually.
Why is it sin in hver sin dyne?