Questions & Answers about Er der et apotek i nærheden?
Why does the question start with Er der?
Because Danish forms this kind of yes/no question by putting the verb first.
- Statement: Der er et apotek i nærheden. = There is a pharmacy nearby.
- Question: Er der et apotek i nærheden? = Is there a pharmacy nearby?
So der er becomes er der in the question.
What does der mean here?
Here, der means there in the existential sense, like in English there is or there are.
It does not mean a specific physical place in this sentence. It is just part of the structure used to say that something exists.
So:
- Der er et apotek = There is a pharmacy
This is very common in Danish.
Why is it et apotek and not en apotek?
Because apotek is a neuter noun in Danish, and neuter nouns take et in the indefinite singular.
- et apotek = a pharmacy
- definite form: apoteket = the pharmacy
In Danish, nouns are either common gender (usually with en) or neuter (with et). You usually have to learn the gender with each noun.
What exactly does i nærheden mean?