Understanding the Danish Passive Voice
In Danish, the passive voice is a way to say that something happens to someone or something, rather than someone or something doing the action. It's like saying 'The ball was thrown' instead of 'Someone threw the ball.'
Important Points
- The '-s' passive: This is the most common way to form the passive voice in Danish. You add '-s' to the verb.
- The 'blive' passive: This form uses the verb 'blive' (to become) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
- When to use: Use the passive voice when the focus is on the action or the object, not the doer.
- Common in writing: The passive voice is often used in written Danish, like in newspapers or books.
Examples
- Bogen læses af mange børn.
- Maden bliver spist af katten.
- Brevet skrives af hende.
Let's look at the two main types of passive voice in Danish. The first type is the '-s' passive. You simply add an '-s' to the end of the verb. For example, 'læse' becomes 'læses,' which means 'is read.'
The second type is the 'blive' passive. Here, you use the verb 'blive,' which means 'to become,' and then add the past participle of the main verb. For example, 'spise' becomes 'bliver spist,' which means 'is eaten.'
Examples
- Filmen bliver set af mange mennesker.
- Bilen vaskes hver weekend.
- Kagen bliver bagt af min mor.
Using the passive voice can make your sentences more interesting and can help you focus on the most important part of the sentence. Practice using both forms to see which one works best for what you want to say.