Der sidder mange tilskuere foran stadion i solen.

Here der is a dummy subject, like there in English sentences such as There are many people outside.

So Der sidder mange tilskuere ... works like:

• Der = grammatical placeholder
• sidder = the finite verb
• mange tilskuere = the real thing being talked about

It does not mean a physical place like over there in this sentence.

Only partly.

In this sentence, der matches English there in the pattern there is / there are:

• Der er mange mennesker. = There are many people.

But Danish der can also mean a real location in other contexts:

• Han står der. = He is standing there.

So you have to tell from context whether der is:

• a dummy subject, or
• a place word

In Der sidder mange tilskuere ..., it is a dummy subject.

Danish often uses position verbs where English would often just use be.

Here sidder means is sitting / are sitting, so it gives extra information about the spectators’ posture or position.

Compare:

• Der er mange tilskuere foran stadion. = There are many spectators in front of the stadium.
• Der sidder mange tilskuere foran stadion. = There are many spectators sitting in front of the stadium.

So sidder is more vivid and specific than er.

Often yes, but Danish also uses sidde a bit more widely than English uses sit.

It can mean:

• physically sitting on something
• being located somewhere in a seated/resting position
• sometimes just being situated in a certain way

In this sentence, the most natural reading is that the spectators are actually sitting in the sun in front of the stadium.

Because mange is a quantifier, like many in English.

After mange, Danish normally uses the noun in the indefinite plural:

• mange tilskuere = many spectators
• mange biler = many cars
• mange børn = many children

So you do not add a separate article here.

Tilskuere is the plural form of tilskuer.

• singular: en tilskuer
• plural indefinite: tilskuere
• plural definite: tilskuerne

In the sentence, mange requires the indefinite plural, so tilskuere is the correct form.

This follows normal Danish main-clause word order, where the finite verb usually comes in second position.

The pattern is:

• Der = first slot
• sidder = second slot
• mange tilskuere = after the verb

This is a standard Danish structure for existential sentences.

If you put something else first, the verb still stays second:

• Foran stadion sidder der mange tilskuere i solen.

That is also grammatical, but the emphasis changes.

This is a very natural question, because learners often expect a definite form here.

In many everyday contexts, if you mean a specific stadium, many speakers would also say foran stadionet.

The bare form foran stadion can occur, especially if:

• the place is understood from context,
• the noun is being used in a somewhat general/institutional way,
• or the wording is a bit compressed.

So as a learner, it is useful to know that:

• foran stadion can occur
• foran stadionet may sound more explicitly like in front of the stadium

If you want the safest everyday choice for one specific stadium, foran stadionet is often a good option.

Foran means in front of.

It is a preposition/adverb used for position:

• foran huset = in front of the house
• foran mig = in front of me

In this sentence, it tells you where the spectators are located.

Yes, i solen literally means in the sun, and it is used much like English in the sun.

It means they are out in sunlight, not in the shade.

So:

• i solen = in the sun
• i skyggen = in the shade

It is not interpreted literally as being inside the sun, of course.

It most naturally describes where the spectators are sitting.

So the meaning is basically:

• many spectators are sitting
• in front of the stadium
• in the sun

It does not normally mean that the stadium itself is in the sun in any important grammatical sense. The phrase is understood as part of the spectators’ situation.

Yes, absolutely.

That version is grammatical and natural. The difference is:

• Der er mange tilskuere ... = neutral statement of existence
• Der sidder mange tilskuere ... = adds the idea that they are sitting

So er is more general, while sidder is more descriptive.

Yes, in many cases you can.

For example:

• Der sidder mange tilskuere i solen foran stadion.
• I solen sidder der mange tilskuere foran stadion.

These are possible, but they shift emphasis a little.

The original order sounds natural because it first gives the main location foran stadion and then adds the detail i solen.

Not normally in this kind of sentence.

In an existential structure like this, der is the standard way to introduce the existence/presence of something:

• Der sidder mange tilskuere ...
• Der står en bil udenfor.
• Der ligger en bog på bordet.

Without der, you would usually need a different sentence structure.

Because Danish often prefers to describe how something is positioned, not just that it exists.

This is very common and very idiomatic:

• Der står en kop på bordet. = There is a cup on the table.
  Literally: a cup is standing on the table.
• Der ligger en bog på sengen. = There is a book on the bed.
  Literally: a book is lying on the bed.
• Der sidder mange tilskuere ... = There are many spectators sitting ...

English often uses be, but Danish often chooses a more specific position verb. Learning this habit will make your Danish sound much more natural.