Er der et apotek i nærheden?

Is there a pharmacy nearby?

Breakdown of Er der et apotek i nærheden?

• et: a
• være: to be
• der: there
• apoteket: the pharmacy

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?