Plural Personal Pronouns
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Danish plural pronouns are simple: 'vi' (we), 'I' (you plural), and 'de' (they).
- Use 'vi' for 'we' when you are part of the group: 'Vi spiser' (We eat).
- Use 'I' for 'you all' when addressing a group: 'I løber' (You all run).
- Use 'de' for 'they' when talking about others: 'De sover' (They sleep).
Plural Pronoun Usage
| Pronoun | English | Example | Verb Form |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Vi
|
We
|
Vi spiser
|
spiser
|
|
I
|
You (plural)
|
I spiser
|
spiser
|
|
De
|
They
|
De spiser
|
spiser
|
Meanings
These pronouns replace nouns to refer to multiple people or things in the subject position.
First-person plural
Refers to the speaker and at least one other person.
“Vi er glade.”
“Vi rejser til Danmark.”
Second-person plural
Refers to a group of people being addressed directly.
“I er søde.”
“Hvad laver I?”
Third-person plural
Refers to a group of people or things not present in the conversation.
“De arbejder meget.”
“De er mine venner.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Pronoun + Verb
|
Vi læser
|
|
Negative
|
Pronoun + Verb + ikke
|
Vi læser ikke
|
|
Question
|
Verb + Pronoun
|
Læser vi?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Ja/Nej + Pronoun + Verb
|
Ja, vi læser
|
|
Plural You
|
I + Verb
|
I læser
|
|
They
|
De + Verb
|
De læser
|
Spectre de formalité
Vi agter at deltage i festen. (Social)
Vi skal til fest. (Social)
Vi skal til fest. (Social)
Vi skal til fest, mand! (Social)
Danish Plural Pronouns
1st Person
- Vi We
2nd Person
- I You (plural)
3rd Person
- De They
Exemples par niveau
Vi er glade.
We are happy.
I er søde.
You all are sweet.
De er her.
They are here.
Vi læser.
We read.
Vi spiser ikke kød.
We do not eat meat.
Hvad laver I i dag?
What are you all doing today?
De kommer fra Danmark.
They come from Denmark.
Vi ses i morgen.
We will see each other tomorrow.
Vi har besluttet at rejse.
We have decided to travel.
I må gerne komme med.
You all are welcome to come along.
De arbejder på et stort projekt.
They are working on a big project.
Vi forstår ikke spørgsmålet.
We do not understand the question.
Vi ville ønske, at I kunne komme.
We wish that you all could come.
De har været i København i en uge.
They have been in Copenhagen for a week.
Vi må hellere gå nu.
We had better leave now.
I bør overveje jeres muligheder.
You all should consider your options.
Vi finder det nødvendigt at handle hurtigt.
We find it necessary to act quickly.
I har utvivlsomt ret i jeres antagelse.
You all are undoubtedly right in your assumption.
De har udvist stor tålmodighed.
They have shown great patience.
Vi betragter dette som en mulighed.
We consider this an opportunity.
Vi må erkende, at udfordringerne er komplekse.
We must acknowledge that the challenges are complex.
I bør forholde jer kritisk til kilderne.
You all should relate critically to the sources.
De har formået at skabe en unik atmosfære.
They have managed to create a unique atmosphere.
Vi har til hensigt at fortsætte samarbejdet.
We intend to continue the collaboration.
Facile à confondre
They sound the same.
They look similar.
Subject vs object.
Erreurs courantes
Vi spiserer
Vi spiser
i er søde
I er søde
De er min ven
De er mine venner
Vi er de
Vi er os
I spiser ikke?
Spiser I ikke?
De er det
De er dem
Vi har gået
Vi er gået
De (formal) er her
I er her
Vi selv
Vi selv (or os selv)
De som
De, som
De (archaic) er...
I er...
Structures de phrases
___ spiser aftensmad.
Hvad laver ___ i dag?
___ er glade for at se jer.
___ har besluttet at ___.
Real World Usage
Vi ses!
Vi har modtaget jeres mail.
Vi vil gerne bestille pizza.
I er fantastiske!
De er vores guider.
Vi er meget interesserede.
Capitalize I
Don't conjugate
Context is king
Avoid formal 'De'
Smart Tips
Always capitalize 'I'.
Don't worry about verb endings.
Distinguish 'de' from 'det'.
Invert the verb and pronoun.
Prononciation
Vi
Pronounced like 'vee'.
I
Pronounced like 'ee'.
De
Pronounced like 'dee'.
Statement
Vi spiser ↘
Falling intonation for statements.
Question
Spiser vi? ↗
Rising intonation for questions.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Vi (We) are together, I (You all) are looking at you, De (They) are over there.
Association visuelle
Imagine a group of friends (Vi) waving, a teacher pointing at a group of students (I), and a group of strangers walking away (De).
Rhyme
Vi is we, I is you all, De is they, standing tall.
Story
Vi went to the park. I saw you all playing there. De were sitting on a bench watching.
Word Web
Défi
Write three sentences about your family using Vi, I, and De.
Notes culturelles
Danes are very informal. 'De' as a formal address is almost never used.
Some dialects have specific plural forms, but standard Danish is understood everywhere.
Pronouns are often reduced in rapid speech.
Derived from Old Norse pronouns.
Amorces de conversation
Hvad laver I i weekenden?
Hvor kommer de fra?
Hvad synes I om filmen?
Hvad har I planlagt for fremtiden?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
___ spiser mad.
___ er mine venner.
Find and fix the mistake:
i er glade.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
They are here.
Answer starts with: De ...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Vi ___ (spise).
A: Hvad laver I? B: ___ læser.
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercises___ spiser mad.
___ er mine venner.
Find and fix the mistake:
i er glade.
spiser / vi / ikke
They are here.
We
Vi ___ (spise).
A: Hvad laver I? B: ___ læser.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No, verbs stay the same for all pronouns.
To distinguish it from the preposition 'i'.
It can be, but it is rarely used in modern Danish.
Use 'de' for both people and things.
No, 'vi' is strictly plural.
'De' is the subject, 'dem' is the object.
No, they are gender-neutral.
Put the verb before the pronoun.
Scaffolded Practice
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2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Wir, Ihr, Sie
Danish verbs do not conjugate.
Nous, Vous, Ils
Danish is gender-neutral.
Nosotros, Vosotros, Ellos
Danish is gender-neutral.
Watashi-tachi, Anata-tachi, Karera
Danish uses distinct words.
Nahnu, Antum, Hum
Danish has no dual form.
Women, Nimen, Tamen
Danish uses unique roots.
