for ... siden

Ago (For ... Siden)

Level 2

The Danish pattern for [time span] siden is the equivalent of the English word 'ago'. It acts like a sandwich, wrapping around the amount of time that has passed.

How It Works

This pattern is used to identify a specific point in the past by measuring back from now.

1. Structure:
The structure is fixed: for + [number + time unit] + siden.

for to år siden (two years ago)
for fem minutter siden (five minutes ago)

2. Tense Restriction:
You must use the past tense (datid) with this expression. You cannot use the present perfect (førnutid) because the time is considered finished and specific.

Jeg så ham for to dage siden. (Correct)
Jeg har set ham for to dage siden. (Incorrect)

3. Word Order (V2 Rule):
If you start a sentence with this phrase, remember the verb-second rule. The verb must come immediately after the entire 'ago' phrase.

Jeg kom for to timer siden. (Standard order)
For to timer siden kom jeg. (Inverted order - Verb is second)

4. Common Pitfalls:
Learners often forget siden. In Danish, i to år means 'for two years' (elapsed duration), while for to år (without siden) usually indicates intended duration (e.g., 'a contract for two years').

Examples (4)

Jeg mødte hende for tre uger siden.
I met her three weeks ago.
Word by Word: I met her for three weeks since.
A standard sentence where the 'ago' phrase is placed at the end.
Filmen begyndte for ti minutter siden.
The movie started ten minutes ago.
Word by Word: The movie started for ten minutes since.
Notice that 'siden' is mandatory to complete the meaning of 'ago'.
For lidt siden faldt der en gren ned.
A little while ago, a branch fell down.
Word by Word: For little since fell there a branch down.
When the phrase starts the sentence, the verb 'faldt' moves to the second position due to the V2 rule.
Det skete for mange år siden.
It happened many years ago.
Word by Word: It happened for many years since.
You can use indefinite time spans like 'mange år' (many years) inside the pattern.

Common Mistakes

Using the present perfect tense instead of the past tense.
Jeg har set ham for to dage siden.
Jeg så ham for to dage siden.
In Danish, 'for ... siden' refers to a specific point in the past and must be used with the past tense (datid), not the present perfect (førnutid).
Forgetting the word 'siden' at the end of the phrase.
Jeg flyttede til Danmark for to år.
Jeg flyttede til Danmark for to år siden.
Without 'siden', the sentence implies an intended duration (e.g., a contract for two years) rather than 'two years ago'.
Forgetting verb-subject inversion when starting with the time phrase.
For en uge siden jeg købte en bil.
For en uge siden købte jeg en bil.
Danish follows the V2 rule; the verb must be the second element in the sentence.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

for ... sidenLevel 2Ago (For ... Siden)

Learn This First

To use 'for ... siden' (ago), you need to know how to express time units using numbers and nouns, and you must be able to conjugate verbs in the past tense since this pattern describes completed actions in the past.

Words in This Pattern