Solstolen står ved siden af parasollen, så hun kan sidde i skyggen.

Solstolen is the definite form of en solstol.

• en solstol = a sun lounger / a deck chair
• solstolen = the sun lounger / the deck chair

In Danish, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word:

• en stol → stolen
• en parasol → parasollen
• en solstol → solstolen

So the sentence is talking about the specific sun lounger, not just any one.

Danish, like English, often forms compound nouns, but Danish usually writes them as one single word.

• sol = sun
• stol = chair

So solstol literally means sun-chair, which in natural English would be something like sun lounger, deck chair, or sun chair depending on context.

This is very common in Danish:

• sommerhus = summer house
• cykelsti = bike path
• soveværelse = bedroom

In Danish, stå is often used for objects that are upright or positioned somewhere.

So Solstolen står ved siden af parasollen means the sun lounger is standing / is placed next to the parasol.

Danish often chooses verbs like this based on the object's position:

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

Examples:

• Flasken står på bordet. = The bottle is standing on the table.
• Bogen ligger på sengen. = The book is lying on the bed.
• Nøglen sidder i låsen. = The key is in the lock.

English often just says is, but Danish prefers a more specific verb.

Ved siden af means next to or beside.

It is a fixed expression:

• ved = by / at
• siden = the side
• af = of

Together: ved siden af = beside / next to

Example:

• Stolen står ved siden af bordet. = The chair is next to the table.

It is best to learn ved siden af as one whole phrase.

For the same reason as solstolen: this is the definite form.

• en parasol = a parasol / an umbrella for shade
• parasollen = the parasol

Notice that when the noun already ends in -l, the definite ending can create a doubled consonant in spelling:

• parasol → parasollen

That double l helps show the pronunciation and spelling pattern of the definite form.

Yes, here så means so, in the sense of therefore / so that as a result.

In this sentence:

• Solstolen står ved siden af parasollen, så hun kan sidde i skyggen.
• The sun lounger is next to the parasol, so she can sit in the shade.

It connects the first idea to the result.

Be aware that så can have other meanings too, depending on context, such as then or such in other sentences. But here it means so.

Because så here introduces a subordinate clause.

In Danish, subordinate clauses usually keep the subject before adverbs and finite verbs in a different pattern from main clauses. Here the subject is hun, and the finite verb is kan:

• så hun kan sidde i skyggen

If så were being used differently in a main-clause structure, you could get other word orders, but in this sentence the natural reading is a subordinate clause meaning so that / so.

This is a useful contrast:

• Main clause: Hun kan sidde i skyggen.
• After a subordinating word: ... så hun kan sidde i skyggen.

Kan is the modal verb can, and sidde is the infinitive sit.

So:

• hun kan sidde = she can sit

This works just like English modal verbs:

• hun kan komme = she can come
• jeg kan se = I can see
• de kan læse = they can read

After a modal verb like kan, the next verb stays in the infinitive form, without at.

So:

• kan sidde = can sit not
• kan at sidde

Skyggen is the definite form of skygge.

• en skygge = a shadow / a shade
• skyggen = the shadow / the shade

In Danish, some expressions naturally use the definite form where English might simply say in shade or in the shade. Here i skyggen means in the shade.

So:

• sidde i skyggen = sit in the shade

This is the normal idiomatic expression.

It can mean both, depending on context.

In this sentence, skyggen is best translated as the shade, because the parasol is protecting her from the sun.

So:

• i skyggen = in the shade

In other contexts, skygge can also mean shadow:

• Jeg så min skygge. = I saw my shadow.

So the exact English word depends on the situation.

A rough guide for an English speaker:

• sidde sounds roughly like SIH-thuh or SIH-duh, with a soft Danish d that is not a strong English d
• skyggen sounds roughly like SKYG-un, but the y is a Danish vowel that does not match normal English y

A few important points:

• Danish y is a front rounded vowel, which many English speakers find difficult.
• The d in sidde is softened.
• The final -en in skyggen is an unstressed definite ending.

If you are learning pronunciation, it is especially worth listening carefully to:

• sidde
• skyggen
• parasollen

because their spoken forms are less obvious than their spelling.

Danish uses commas to mark clause structure more regularly than English often does.

Here the sentence has two parts:

• Solstolen står ved siden af parasollen
• så hun kan sidde i skyggen

The comma helps show the boundary between the main clause and the following clause.

Comma usage in Danish can feel more grammatical and systematic than in everyday English, so learners often notice commas in places where English might be more flexible.