Editing Danish language (section)

== Grammar ==
{{Main|Danish grammar}}

Similarly to the case of English, modern Danish grammar is the result of a gradual change from a typical Indo-European [[Dependent-marking language|dependent-marking]] pattern with a rich [[inflection]]al morphology and relatively free word order, to a mostly [[Analytic language|analytic]] pattern with little inflection, a fairly fixed [[SVO word order]] and a complex syntax. Some traits typical of Germanic languages persist in Danish, such as the distinction between irregularly inflected [[strong inflection|strong]] stems inflected through [[ablaut]] or [[Umlaut (linguistics)|umlaut]] (i.e. changing the vowel of the stem, as in the pairs {{lang|da|tager/tog}} ("takes/took") and {{lang|da|fod/fødder}} ("foot/feet")) and weak stems inflected through affixation (such as {{lang|da|elsker/elskede}} "love/loved", {{lang|da|bil/biler}} "car/cars"). Vestiges of the Germanic case and gender system are found in the pronoun system. Typical for an Indo-European language, Danish follows [[Nominative–accusative language|accusative]] [[morphosyntactic alignment]]. Danish distinguishes at least seven major word classes: verbs, nouns, numerals, adjectives, adverbs, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections and [[onomatopoeia]].{{sfn|Becker-Christensen|2010|p=17}}

=== Nouns ===
Nouns are inflected for number (singular vs. plural) and definiteness, and are classified into two grammatical genders. Only pronouns inflect for case, and the previous genitive case has become an [[enclitic]]. A distinctive feature of the Nordic languages, including Danish, is that the definite articles, which also mark noun gender, have developed into suffixes. Typical of Germanic languages plurals are either irregular or "[[strong inflection|strong]]" stems inflected through [[Umlaut (linguistics)|umlaut]] (i.e. changing the vowel of the stem) (e.g. {{lang|da|fod/fødder}} "foot/feet", {{lang|da|mand/mænd}} "man/men") or "weak" stems inflected through affixation (e.g. {{lang|da|skib/skibe}} "ship/ships", {{lang|da|kvinde/kvinder}} "woman/women").{{sfn|Haberland|1994|pp=323–331}}

==== Gender ====
{{Main|Gender in Danish and Swedish}}
Standard Danish has two [[Grammatical gender|nominal genders]]: ''common'' and ''neuter''; the common gender arose as the historical feminine and masculine genders conflated into a single category. Some traditional dialects retain a three-way gender distinction, between masculine, feminine and neuter, and some dialects of Jutland have a masculine/feminine contrast. While the majority of Danish nouns (ca. 75%) have the ''common'' gender, and ''neuter'' is often used for inanimate objects, the genders of nouns are not generally predictable and must in most cases be memorized. The gender of a noun determines the form of adjectives that modify it, and the form of the definite suffixes.{{Sfn|Haberland|1994|p=323-324}}

==== Definiteness ====
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|-
|+ Danish regular plural patterns
|-
! colspan="3" | Class 1
! colspan="3"|Class 2
! colspan="3" | Class 3
|-
! style="font-size: smaller" | Sg.
! style="font-size: smaller" | Pl.
! style="font-size: smaller" | Pl. definite.
! style="font-size: smaller" | Sg.
! style="font-size: smaller" | Pl.
! style="font-size: smaller" | Pl. definite.
! style="font-size: smaller" | Sg.
! style="font-size: smaller" | Pl.
! style="font-size: smaller" | Pl. definite.
|-
|{{lang|da|måned}}<br />month||{{lang|da|måneder}}<br />months||{{lang|da|månederne}}<br />the months||{{lang|da|dag}}<br />day||{{lang|da|dage}}<br /> days||{{lang|da|dagene}}<br />"the days"||{{lang|da|år}} <br />year||{{lang|da|år}}<br />years ||{{lang|da|årene}} <br /> the years
|-
|{{lang|da|bil}}<br />car||{{lang|da|biler}}<br />cars||{{lang|da|bilerne}}<br />the cars||{{lang|da|hund}}<br />dog||{{lang|da|hunde}}<br />dogs||{{lang|da|hundene}}<br />the dogs||{{lang|da|fisk}}<br />fish||{{lang|da|fisk}}<br />fish (pl.)||{{lang|da|fiskene}}<br />the fishes
|-
|}
Definiteness is marked by two mutually exclusive articles: either a postposed enclitic or a preposed article which is the obligatory way to mark definiteness when nouns are modified by an adjective.{{sfn|Rischel|2012|p=813}} Neuter nouns take the clitic {{lang|da|-et}}, and common gender nouns take {{lang|da|-en}}. Indefinite nouns take the articles {{lang|da|en}} (common gender) or {{lang|da|et}} (neuter). Hence, the common gender noun {{lang|da|en mand}} "a man" (indefinite) has the definite form {{lang|da|manden}} "the man", whereas the neuter noun {{lang|da|et hus}} "a house" (indefinite) has the definite form, "the house" (definite) {{lang|da|huset}}.{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=323-324}}{{Sfn|Lundskaer-Nielsen|Holmes|2015|p=61-68}}

Indefinite:
*''Jeg så '''et''' hus'': "I saw a house"

Definite with enclitic article:
*''Jeg så hus'''et''''': "I saw the house"

Definite with preposed demonstrative article:
*''Jeg så '''det''' store hus'':<ref group='nb'>Note here that in Swedish and Norwegian the preposed and the enclitic article occur together (e.g. {{lang|da|det store huset}}), whereas in Danish the enclitic article is replaced by the preposed demonstrative.</ref> "I saw the big house"

The plural definite ending is {{lang|da|-(e)ne}} (e.g. {{lang|da|drenge}} "boys > {{lang|da|drengene}} "the boys" and {{lang|da|piger}} "girls" > {{lang|da|pigerne}} "the girls"), and nouns ending in {{lang|da|-ere}} lose the last {{lang|da|-e}} before adding the -ne suffix (e.g. {{lang|da|danskere}} "Danes" > {{lang|da|danskerne}} "the Danes"). When the noun is modified by an adjective, the definiteness is marked by the definite article {{lang|da|den}} (common) or {{lang|da|det}} (neuter) and the definite/plural form of the adjective: {{lang|da|den store mand}} "the big man", {{lang|da|det store hus}} "the big house".{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=330}}{{sfn|Lundskaer-Nielsen|Holmes|2015|p=61-68}}

{{reflist|group=nb}}

==== Number ====
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|-
|+ Danish irregular plurals
|-
! Sg.
! Pl.
! Pl. definite
|-
|{{lang|da|mand}}<br />man||{{lang|da|mænd}}<br />men||{{lang|da|mændene}}<br />the men
|-
|{{lang|da|ko}}<br />cow||{{lang|da|køer}}<br />cows||{{lang|da|køerne}}<br />the cows
|-
|{{lang|da|øje}}<br />eye||{{lang|da|øjne}}<br /> eyes || {{lang|da|øjnene}}<br /> the eyes
|-
|{{lang|da|konto}}<br />account||{{lang|da|konti}}<br /> accounts|| {{lang|da|kontiene}}<br /> the accounts
|-
|}
There are three different types of regular plurals: Class 1 forms the plural with the suffix {{lang|da|-er}} (indefinite) and {{lang|da|-erne}} (definite), Class 2 with the suffix {{lang|da|-e}} (indefinite) and {{lang|da|-ene}} (definite), and Class 3 takes no suffix for the plural indefinite form and {{lang|da|-ene}} for the plural definite.{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=325-326}}

Most irregular nouns have an ablaut plural (i.e. with a change in the stem vowel), or combine ablaut stem-change with the suffix, and some have unique plural forms. Unique forms may be inherited (e.g. the plural of {{lang|da|øje}} "eye", which is the old dual form {{lang|da|øjne}}), or for loan words they may be borrowed from the donor language (e.g. the word {{lang|da|konto}} "account" which is borrowed from Italian and uses the Italian masculine plural form {{lang|da|konti}} "accounts").{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=326}}{{sfn|Lundskaer-Nielsen|Holmes|2015|p=35-40}}

==== Possession ====
Possessive phrases are formed with the enclitic -''s'', for example {{lang|da|min fars hus}} "my father's house" where the noun {{lang|da|far}} carries the possessive enclitic.{{sfn|Herslund|2001}} This is however not an example of genitive case marking, because in the case of longer noun phrases the -s attaches to the last word in the phrase, which need not be the head-noun or even a noun at all. For example, the phrases {{lang|da|kongen af Danmarks bolsjefabrik}} "the king of Denmark's candy factory", where the factory is owned by the king of Denmark, or {{lang|da|det er pigen Uffe bor sammen meds datter}} "that is the daughter of the girl that Uffe lives with", where the enclitic attaches to a stranded preposition.{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=325}}{{sfn|Lundskaer-Nielsen|Holmes|2015|p=53-60}}

==== Nominal compounds ====
Like all Germanic languages, Danish forms compound nouns. These are represented in Danish orthography as one word, as in {{lang|da|kvindehåndboldlandsholdet}}, "the female national handball team". In some cases, nouns are joined with ''s'' as a [[interfix|linking element]], originally possessive in function, like {{lang|da|landsmand}} (from {{lang|da|land}}, "country", and {{lang|da|mand}}, "man", meaning "compatriot"), but {{lang|da|landmand}} (from same roots, meaning "farmer"). Some words are joined with the linking element {{lang|da|e}} instead, like {{lang|da|gæstebog}} (from {{lang|da|gæst}} and {{lang|da|bog}}, meaning "guest book"). There are also irregular linking elements.

=== Pronouns ===

{| class="wikitable floatright"
|-
|+ Danish personal pronouns
|-
! scope="col" | Person
! scope="col" | Nominative case
! scope="col" | Oblique case
! scope="col" | Possessive case/adjective 
|-
! scope="row" | 1st sg.
| {{lang|da|jeg}} <br /> I || {{lang|da|mig}}<br /> me || {{lang|da|min/mit/mine}}<br /> my, mine
|-
! scope="row" | 2nd sg.
| {{lang|da|du}} <br /> You || {{lang|da|dig}}<br /> you|| {{lang|da|din/dit/dine}}<br /> your(s)
|-
! scope="row" | 3rd sg.
| {{lang|da|han/hun<br />/den/det}} <br /> he/she/it|| {{lang|da|ham/hende<br />/den/det}}<br /> him/her/it|| {{lang|da|hans/hendes<br />/dens/dets}}<br /> his/her(s)/its
|-
! scope="row" | 1st pl.
| {{lang|da|vi}}<br />we || {{lang|da|os}}<br /> us || {{lang|da|vores}}<br />our(s)
|-
! scope="row" | 2nd pl.
| {{lang|da|I}}<br /> you (pl.) || {{lang|da|jer}} <br /> you (pl.) || {{lang|da|jeres}}<br /> your(s) (pl.)
|-
! scope="row" | 3rd pl.
| {{lang|da|de}} <br /> they|| {{lang|da|dem}}<br /> them || {{lang|da|deres}}<br /> their(s)
|-
!3rd [[Reflexive pronoun|refl.]]
|N/A
|{{lang|da|sig}}<br /> him/her/itself, themself/selves
| {{lang|da|sin/sit/sine}}<br /> his/her(s)/its (own)
|}
As does English, the Danish pronominal system retains a distinction between nominative and oblique case. The nominative form of pronouns is used when pronouns occur as grammatical subject of a sentence (and only when non-coordinated and without a following modifier{{sfn|Herslund|2002|p=49}}), and oblique forms are used for all non-subject functions including direct and indirect object, predicative, comparative and other types of constructions. The third person singular pronouns also distinguish between animate masculine ({{lang|da|han}} "he"), animate feminine ({{lang|da|hun}} "she") forms, as well as inanimate neuter ({{lang|da|det}} "it") and inanimate common gender ({{lang|da|den}} "it").{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=326-328}}

*{{lang|da|Jeg sover}}: "I sleep"
*{{lang|da|Du sover}}: "you sleep"
*{{lang|da|Jeg kysser dig}}: "I kiss you"
*{{lang|da|Du kysser mig}}: "you kiss me"

Possessive pronouns have independent and adjectival uses, but the same form.{{sfn|Allan|Lundskaer-Nielsen|Holmes|2005|p=61}} The form is used both adjectivally preceding a possessed noun ({{lang|da|det er min hest}} "it is my horse"), and independently in place of the possessed noun ({{lang|da|den er min}} "it is mine"). In the third person singular, {{lang|da|sin}} is used when the possessor is also the subject of the sentence, whereas {{lang|da|hans}} ("his"), {{lang|da|hendes}} (her) and {{lang|da|dens/dets}} "its" is used when the possessor is different from the grammatical subject.{{sfn|Allan|Lundskaer-Nielsen|Holmes|2005|p=63}}{{sfn|Bredsdorff|1958|pp=83–85}}

*''Han tog '''sin''' hat'': He took his (own) hat
* ''Han tog '''hans''' hat'': He took his hat (someone else's hat)

=== Verbs ===
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|-
|+ Danish verbal forms|-
! infinitive
! Present
! Past
|-
|{{lang|da|at være}}<br />to be||{{lang|da|er}}<br />is/are/am||{{lang|da|var}}<br />was/were
|-
|{{lang|da|at se}}<br />to see||{{lang|da|ser}}<br />sees||{{lang|da|så}}<br />saw
|-
|{{lang|da|at vide}}<br />to know||{{lang|da|ved}}<br />knows||{{lang|da|vidste}}<br />knew
|-
|{{lang|da|at huske}}<br />to remember||{{lang|da|husker}}<br /> remembers|| {{lang|da|huskede}}<br />remembered
|-
|{{lang|da|at glemme}}<br />to forget||{{lang|da|glemmer}}<br /> forgets|| {{lang|da|glemte}}<br /> forgot
|-
|}
Danish verbs are morphologically simple, marking very few grammatical categories. They do not mark person or number of subject, although the marking of plural subjects was still used in writing as late as the 19th century. Verbs have a past, non-past and infinitive form, past and present participle forms, and a passive, and an imperative.{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=331}}

{{Anchor|Tense, Aspect, Mood, Voice}}

==== Tense, aspect, mood, and voice ====
Verbs can be divided into two main classes, the strong/irregular verbs and the regular/weak verbs.{{sfn|Rischel|2012|p=813}} The regular verbs are also divided into two classes, those that take the past suffix {{lang|da|-te}} and those that take the suffix {{lang|da|-ede}}.{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=332}}

The infinitive always ends in a vowel, usually -e (pronounced {{IPA|[ə]}}), infinitive forms are preceded by the article {{lang|da|at}} (pronounced {{IPA|[ɒ]}}) in some syntactic functions.{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=332}} The non-past or present tense takes the suffix {{lang|da|-r}}, except for a few strong verbs that have irregular non-past forms. The past form does not necessarily mark past tense, but also counterfactuality or conditionality, and the non-past has many uses besides present tense time reference.{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=333}}

The present participle ends in {{lang|da|-ende}} (e.g. {{lang|da|løbende}} "running"), and the past participle ends in {{lang|da|-et}} (e.g. {{lang|da|løbet}} "run"), {{lang|da|-t}} (e.g. købt "bought"). The [[Perfect (grammar)|Perfect]] is constructed with {{lang|da|at have}} ("to have") and participial forms, like in English. But some intransitive verbs form the perfect using {{lang|da|at være}} ("to be") instead, and some may use both with a difference in meaning.

* {{lang|da|Hun har gået}}. {{lang|da|Flyet har fløjet}}: ''She has walked''. ''The plane has flown''
* {{lang|da|Hun er gået}}. {{lang|da|Flyet er fløjet}}: ''She has left''. ''The plane has taken off''
* {{lang|da|Hun havde gået}}. {{lang|da|Flyet havde fløjet}}: ''She had walked''. ''The plane had flown''
* {{lang|da|Hun var gået}}. {{lang|da|Flyet var fløjet}}: ''She had left''. ''The plane had taken off''

The passive form takes the suffix -s: {{lang|da|avisen læses hver dag}} ("the newspaper is read every day"). Another passive construction uses the auxiliary verb {{lang|da|at blive}} "to become": {{lang|da|avisen bliver læst hver dag}}.{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=333}}{{sfn|Rischel|2012|p=814}}

The imperative form is the infinitive without the final schwa-vowel, with {{lang|da|stød}} potentially being applied depending on syllable structure.:
*{{lang|da|løb!}}: "run!"

=== Numerals{{anchor|Numerals}} ===
Certain numerals are formed on the basis of a [[vigesimal]] system with various rules. In the word forms of numbers above 20, the units are stated before the tens, so 21 is rendered {{lang|da|enogtyve}}, literally "one and twenty".

The numeral {{lang|da|halvanden}} means {{frac|1|1|2}} (literally "half second", implying "one plus half of the second one"). The numerals {{lang|da|halvtredje}} ({{frac|2|1|2}}), {{lang|da|halvfjerde}} ({{frac|3|1|2}}) and {{lang|da|halvfemte}} ({{frac|4|1|2}}) are obsolete, but still implicitly used in the vigesimal system described below. Similarly, the [[time|temporal designation]] ({{lang|da|klokken}})'' halv tre'', literally "half three (o'clock)", is half past two.

One peculiar feature of the Danish language is that the numerals 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 are (as are the [[French language|French]] numerals from 80 through 99) based on a vigesimal system, meaning that the [[20 (number)|score]] (20) is used as a base unit in counting. {{lang|da|Tres}} (short for {{lang|da|tre-sinds-tyve}}, "three times twenty") means 60, while 50 is {{lang|da|halvtreds}} (short for {{lang|da|halvtredje-sinds-tyve}}, "half third times twenty", implying two score plus half of the third score). The [[suffix|ending]] {{lang|da|sindstyve}} meaning "times twenty" is no longer included in [[cardinal number]]s, but may still be used in [[ordinal number]]s. Thus, in modern Danish fifty-two is usually rendered as {{lang|da|tooghalvtreds}} from the now obsolete {{lang|da|tooghalvtredsindstyve}}, whereas 52nd is either {{lang|da|tooghalvtredsende}} or {{lang|da|tooghalvtredsindstyvende}}. Twenty is {{lang|da|tyve}} (derived from Old Danish {{lang|da|tiughu}}, [[Old Norse]] form {{lang|da|tuttugu}}, meaning 'two tens'<ref name="ODS">{{cite web|url=http://ordnet.dk/ods/ordbog?select=tyve,4&query=tyve|title=tyve,4 – ODS|website=ordnet.dk|access-date=1 December 2012|archive-date=16 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416191550/https://ordnet.dk/ods/ordbog?select=tyve,4&query=tyve|url-status=live}}</ref>), while thirty is {{lang|da|tredive}} (Old Danish {{lang|da|þrjatiughu}}, "three tens"), and forty is {{lang|da|fyrre}} (Old Danish {{lang|da|fyritiughu}}, "four tens",<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mørch |first1=Ida Elisabeth |title=de danske tal; halvtreds |url=https://sproget.dk/raad-og-regler/artikler-mv/svarbase/SV00000047 |website=sproget.dk |publisher=Dansk Sprognævn |access-date=17 December 2021 |language=da |date=21 October 2009 |archive-date=17 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217142358/https://sproget.dk/raad-og-regler/artikler-mv/svarbase/SV00000047 |url-status=live }}</ref> still used today as the [[archaism]] {{lang|da|fyrretyve}}).{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=348}} Thus, the suffix {{lang|da|-tyve}} should be understood as a plural of {{lang|da|ti}} (10), though to modern Danes {{lang|da|tyve}} means 20, making it hard to explain why {{lang|da|fyrretyve}} is 40 (four tens) and not 80 (four twenties).

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Cardinal numeral || Danish || Literal translation || Ordinal numeral || Danish || Literal translation
|-
| 1 || {{lang|da|én}} / {{lang|da|ét}} || one || 1st || {{lang|da|første}} || first
|-
| 12 || {{lang|da|tolv}} || twelve || 12th || {{lang|da|tolvte}} || twelfth
|-
| 23 || {{lang|da|treogtyve}} || three and twenty || 23rd || {{lang|da|treogtyvende}} || three and 20th
|-
| 34 || {{lang|da|fireogtredive}} || four and thirty || 34th || {{lang|da|fireogtred(i)vte}} || four and 30th
|-
| 45 || {{lang|da|femogfyrre(tyve)}} || five and forty (four tens) || 45th || {{lang|da|femogfyrretyvende}} || five and four tens-th
|-
| 56 || {{lang|da|seksoghalvtreds(indstyve)}} || six and [two score plus] half [of the] third (score) || 56th || {{lang|da|seksoghalvtredsindstyvende}} || six and [two score plus] half [of the] third score-th
|-
| 67 || {{lang|da|syvogtres(indstyve)}} || seven and three (score) || 67th || {{lang|da|syvogtresindstyvende}} || seven and three score-th
|-
| 78 || {{lang|da|otteoghalvfjerds(indstyve)}} || eight and [three score plus] half [of the] fourth (score) || 78th || {{lang|da|otteoghalvfjerdsindstyvende}} || eight and [three score plus] half [of the] fourth score-th
|-
| 89 || {{lang|da|niogfirs(indstyve)}} || nine and four (score) || 89th || {{lang|da|niogfirsindstyvende}} || nine and four score-th
|-
| 90 || {{lang|da|halvfems(indstyve)}} || [four score plus] half [of the] fifth (score) || 90th || {{lang|da|halvfemsindstyvende}} || [four score plus] half [of the] fifth score-th
|}

For large numbers (one billion or larger), Danish uses the [[Long and short scales|long scale]], so that the short-scale billion (1,000,000,000) is called {{lang|da|milliard}}, and the short-scale trillion (1,000,000,000,000) is {{lang|da|billion}}.

=== Syntax ===
Danish basic constituent order in simple sentences with both a subject and an object is [[Subject–verb–object|Subject–Verb–Object]].{{sfn|Becker-Christensen|2010|p=24}} However, Danish is also a [[V2 word order|V2 language]], which means that the verb must always be the second constituent of the sentence. Following the Danish grammarian [[Paul Diderichsen]]{{sfn|Diderichsen|1974}} Danish grammar tends to be analyzed as consisting of slots or fields, and in which certain types of sentence material can be moved to the pre-verbal (or ''foundation'') field to achieve different pragmatic effects. Usually the sentence material occupying the preverbal slot has to be pragmatically marked, usually either new information or [[Topic and comment|topics]]. There is no rule that subjects must occur in the preverbal slot, but since subject and topic often coincide, they often do. Therefore, whenever any sentence material that is not the subject occurs in the preverbal position the subject is demoted to postverbal position and the sentence order becomes VSO.{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=336}}

*{{lang|da|Peter (S) så (V) Jytte (O)}}: "Peter saw Jytte"

but

*{{lang|da|I går så (V) Peter (S) Jytte (O)}}: "Yesterday, Peter saw Jytte"

When there is no pragmatically marked constituents in the sentence to take the preverbal slot (for example when all the information is new), the slot has to take a [[Dummy pronoun|dummy subject]] "der".{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=344}}

*{{lang|da|der kom en pige ind ad døren}}: there came a girl in through the door, "A girl came in the door"

==== Main clauses ====
{{Harvtxt|Haberland|1994|p=336}} describes the basic order of sentence constituents in main clauses as comprising the following 8 positions:

{| style="text-align: center;"
|-
|{{lang|da|Og}}||{{lang|da|ham}}||{{lang|da|havde}}||{{lang|da|Per}}||{{lang|da|ikke}}||{{lang|da|skænket}}||{{lang|da|en tanke}}||{{lang|da|i årevis}}
|-
|And||him||had||Per||not||given||a thought||for years
|-
|0||1||2||3||4||5||6||7
|-
|colspan="8" | "And him Per hadn't given a thought in years"

|}

Position 0 is not part of the sentence and can only contain sentential connectors (such as conjunctions or interjections). Position 1 can contain any sentence constituent. Position 2 can only contain the finite verb. Position 3 is the subject position, unless the subject is fronted to occur in position 1. Position 4 can only contain light adverbs and the negation. Position 5 is for non-finite verbs, such as auxiliaries. Position 6 is the position of direct and indirect objects, and position 7 is for heavy adverbial constituents.{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=336}}

Questions with [[Interrogative word|wh-words]] are formed differently from yes/no questions. In wh-questions the question word occupies the preverbal field, regardless of whether its grammatical role is subject or object or adverbial. In yes/no questions the preverbal field is empty, so that the sentence begins with the verb.

Wh-question:
*{{lang|da|hvem så hun?}}: whom saw she, "whom did she see?"
*{{lang|da|så hun ham?}}: saw she him?, "did she see him?"

==== Subordinate clauses ====
In subordinate clauses, the word order differs from that of main clauses. In the subordinate clause structure the verb is preceded by the subject and any light adverbial material (e.g. negation).{{sfn|Jensen|2011}} [[Complement clause]]s begin with the particle {{lang|da|at}} in the "connector field".

*''Han sagde, '''at han ikke ville gå''''': he said that he not would go, "He said that he did not want to go"

[[Relative clause]]s are marked by the relative pronouns {{lang|da|som}} or {{lang|da|der}} which occupy the preverbal slot:

*''Jeg kender en mand, '''som''' bor i Helsingør:{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=345}} "I know a man who lives in Elsinore"