Der ligger en ren ble på skiftebordet.

Here der is a dummy subject used in an existential sentence, like English there in There is... or There lies....

So Der ligger en ren ble på skiftebordet is structured like:

• Der = there
• ligger = lies / is lying
• en ren ble = a clean diaper
• på skiftebordet = on the changing table

This kind of der does not mean a physical location by itself. It is mainly there because Danish often uses this structure when introducing something that exists or is located somewhere.

Danish often prefers a position verb where English might simply use is.

Ligge means to lie or to be lying, and it is used for things that are understood as being in a horizontal position or simply resting somewhere.

So a Danish speaker naturally says:

• Der ligger en ble på bordet = There is / lies a diaper on the table

Using er is grammatically possible in some contexts, but it is less natural here. Danish often chooses among verbs like:

• ligge = lie
• stå = stand
• sidde = sit

This is very common and important in Danish.

Because ble is a common gender noun in Danish, not a neuter noun.

So its indefinite article is:

• en ble = a diaper

Not:

• et ble

In Danish, singular nouns are either:

• common gender: usually with en
• neuter: with et

Since ble takes en, the adjective must match that pattern too.

Danish adjectives change form depending on the noun phrase.

Here, ble is:

• singular
• common gender
• indefinite

So the adjective takes the basic form:

• en ren ble

Compare:

• en ren ble = a clean diaper
• et rent bord = a clean table
• rene bleer = clean diapers
• den rene ble = the clean diaper

So ren is correct because it matches a singular common-gender indefinite noun.

Yes, ble is standard Danish and means diaper.

Its basic forms are:

• en ble = a diaper
• bleen = the diaper
• bleer = diapers
• bleerne = the diapers

It is a very common everyday word, especially in contexts involving babies and childcare.

Skiftebordet is the definite form of skiftebord, meaning the changing table.

Forms:

• et skiftebord = a changing table
• skiftebordet = the changing table

The ending -et shows that the noun is:

• singular
• neuter
• definite

In Danish, definiteness is often added to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

Because Danish usually marks definiteness by adding it to the noun itself.

So:

• bord = table
• bordet = the table

And:

• skiftebord = changing table
• skiftebordet = the changing table

This is one of the big differences from English. Danish often uses a suffix where English uses the.

Yes. It is a compound noun, which Danish uses very often.

It is built from:

• skifte = changing
• bord = table
• -et = the definite ending

So:

• skiftebord = changing table
• skiftebordet = the changing table

Learning to recognize compounds is very useful in Danish, because many everyday nouns are formed this way.

Yes, you could.

That version is also grammatical:

• En ren ble ligger på skiftebordet

The difference is mostly about focus.

• Der ligger en ren ble på skiftebordet introduces the diaper as something present in that location.
• En ren ble ligger på skiftebordet puts more focus on the diaper itself.

The der version is especially natural when pointing out that something is there.

Because Danish is a V2 language, meaning the finite verb normally comes in the second position in main clauses.

In:

• Der ligger en ren ble på skiftebordet

the order is:

1. Der
2. ligger

That follows the normal Danish main-clause pattern.

If another element comes first, the verb still usually stays second. For example:

• På skiftebordet ligger der en ren ble

Here På skiftebordet is first, and ligger is still second.

Yes. På usually means on in this kind of physical-location context.

So:

• på bordet = on the table
• på skiftebordet = on the changing table

This is a straightforward prepositional phrase showing location.

A natural plural version would be:

• Der ligger rene bleer på skiftebordet. = There are clean diapers on the changing table.

Notice the changes:

• ble → bleer
• ren → rene

Because now the noun is plural.

This is a very common Danish distinction.

Danish often chooses different location verbs depending on the object's position:

• ligger = lies, is lying
• står = stands, is standing
• sidder = sits, is sitting

Examples:

• Bogen ligger på bordet. = The book is on the table.
• Flasken står på bordet. = The bottle is on the table.
• Fluen sidder på væggen. = The fly is on the wall.

A diaper on a changing table is naturally thought of as lying, so ligger is the normal choice.