Om sommeren sidder vi ofte ved springvandet bag hegnet og drikker kaffe.

Because Danish is a V2 language in main clauses. That means the finite verb usually comes in the second position.

Here, Om sommeren is placed first:

• Om sommeren = first element
• sidder = finite verb in second position
• vi = subject comes after the verb

So:

• Om sommeren sidder vi ofte ...

If you started with the subject instead, then you would say:

• Vi sidder ofte ved springvandet bag hegnet om sommeren.

Both are correct, but the word order changes because of the V2 rule.

In this sentence, om sommeren means in summer / during the summer.

Danish often uses om with recurring times or seasons when talking about what usually happens:

• om sommeren = in summer
• om vinteren = in winter
• om morgenen = in the morning

Using i would usually not sound natural here for this kind of general seasonal statement.
So om sommeren is the standard way to say in summer when talking about habits or typical situations.

Danish often uses the definite form in time expressions like this:

• om sommeren
• om vinteren
• om aftenen

So even though English says in summer, Danish commonly says the equivalent of in the summer.

The ending -en is the definite article attached to the noun:

• sommer = summer
• sommeren = the summer

This is just a normal Danish pattern in expressions of time.

Sidder is the present tense of at sidde, which means to sit / be sitting.

So here it means that we are sitting somewhere.

Danish often uses position verbs very naturally, where English might sometimes use be:

• Han sidder i køkkenet = He is sitting in the kitchen
• Bogen ligger på bordet = The book is lying on the table
• Hun står ved døren = She is standing by the door

So sidder vi is very natural because the sentence describes people being seated somewhere.

In a main clause, adverbs like ofte often come after the subject when the verb is already in second position.

So the pattern here is:

• Om sommeren = first element
• sidder = finite verb
• vi = subject
• ofte = adverb

That gives:

• Om sommeren sidder vi ofte ...

This is the normal and natural placement.

Ved usually means by, near, or at.

So:

• ved springvandet = by the fountain / at the fountain

It shows location next to or around something, not inside it or on top of it.

Compare:

• ved bordet = at the table
• ved døren = by the door
• ved stranden = by the beach

So ved springvandet is the natural choice for sitting near a fountain.

Springvandet is the definite form:

• et springvand = a fountain
• springvandet = the fountain

Danish often uses the definite form when the place is understood as a specific, known location in the context.

So the sentence suggests a particular fountain, not just any fountain.

The same applies to:

• hegnet = the fence

Both bag and bagved can relate to behind, but they are used a little differently.

In this sentence:

• bag hegnet = behind the fence

This is a very normal prepositional phrase.

Bagved can also mean behind, but it is often used more as an adverb or in slightly different phrasing. In many simple location phrases, bag is the more straightforward choice before a noun.

So bag hegnet is perfectly natural here.

Because Danish often uses the definite form when referring to something identifiable or specific in the situation.

Here:

• ved springvandet = by the fountain
• bag hegnet = behind the fence

This makes the setting sound like a known place. English would do the same in many contexts.

Structurally:

• springvand → springvandet
• hegn → hegnet

Both are neuter nouns (common dictionary form with et), so the definite singular ending is -et.

Because the two verbs are coordinated with og and share the same subject.

So:

• sidder vi ofte ved springvandet bag hegnet
• og drikker kaffe

The subject vi applies to both verbs:

• we sit ...
• and (we) drink coffee

Danish does not need to repeat vi here, just like English usually would not repeat we in We sit by the fountain and drink coffee.

Because kaffe is being used as an uncountable mass noun here, just like coffee in English.

So:

• drikker kaffe = drink coffee

If you say en kaffe, that usually means:

• a coffee
• often understood as a cup of coffee

So the sentence is describing the activity generally, not counting individual cups.

A useful breakdown is:

• Om sommeren = time expression
• sidder = finite verb
• vi = subject
• ofte = adverb
• ved springvandet = place
• bag hegnet = further location detail
• og drikker kaffe = coordinated verb phrase

So the full structure is roughly:

Time + verb + subject + adverb + place + extra location + and + second verb phrase

That is a very common Danish sentence pattern.

Yes. A very natural alternative is:

• Vi sidder ofte ved springvandet bag hegnet og drikker kaffe om sommeren.

This means the same thing, but the emphasis is a little different.

• Om sommeren ... puts the time frame first and highlights it.
• Vi ... starts more neutrally with the subject.

Both are correct; the original sentence simply foregrounds summer.

Yes, very common.

Danish often uses a verb of position or activity followed by og plus another verb:

• Han står og venter = He is standing and waiting
• Hun sidder og læser = She is sitting and reading
• Vi går og snakker = We are walking around and talking

So:

• sidder ... og drikker kaffe

is a natural way to describe two actions happening together: sitting and drinking coffee.