hos

At Someone's Place (Hos)

Level 1

The Danish preposition hos is used when the 'location' is a person. It translates to 'at [someone's] place' or 'at the [professional's] office'.

How It Works

The preposition hos is a fundamental spatial term in Danish. Its usage can be broken down into four main categories:

  • Personal Location: Used to say you are at someone's home. Jeg er hos Peter means 'I am at Peter's house.'
  • Professional Appointments: Used for professionals like doctors or dentists. Jeg er hos lægen means 'I am at the doctor's.'
  • Employment: Used to indicate where you work. Jeg arbejder hos Mærsk means 'I work at Mærsk.'
  • Abstract/Literary: Used for traits in a group (hos børn) or within the works of an author (hos H.C. Andersen).

Position vs. Motion: It is important to distinguish between being somewhere and going somewhere. Use hos for location (Jeg er hos lægen), but use til for movement (Jeg skal til lægen).

Important Note on Pronouns: When using hos with a pronoun, you must use the object case (e.g., hos mig, hos dem).

Regional Note: In Jutland (Western Denmark), speakers often use ved instead of hos in everyday speech (e.g., Jeg er ved bageren).

Examples (6)

  1. Jeg er hos min mormor.

    I am at my grandmother's [house].

    Word by Word: I am at my grandmother.

    Here 'hos' indicates the location is the grandmother's home.

  2. Han har en tid hos tandlægen klokken ti.

    He has an appointment at the dentist at ten o'clock.

    Word by Word: He has a time at the dentist clock ten.

    'Hos' is the standard preposition for professional appointments.

  3. Jeg arbejder hos Novo Nordisk.

    I work at Novo Nordisk.

    Word by Word: I work at Novo Nordisk.

    'Hos' is used to indicate your employer or workplace when it is a company name.

  4. Vil du sove hos mig i nat?

    Do you want to sleep at my place tonight?

    Word by Word: Will you sleep at me in night?

    Notice the use of the object pronoun 'mig' after 'hos'.

  5. Det er et tema hos H.C. Andersen.

    It is a theme in the works of H.C. Andersen.

    Word by Word: It is a theme at H.C. Andersen.

    In a literary context, 'hos' refers to the works or style of an author.

  6. Vi spiser middag hos naboerne.

    We are eating dinner at the neighbors' [place].

    Word by Word: We eat dinner at the neighbors.

    'Hos' is used for groups of people as well.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'hos' for motion toward a person.

    Jeg går hos lægen nu.
    Jeg går til lægen nu.

    Use til for movement toward a person/place. Use 'hos' only when you have already arrived and are at that location.

  • Using 'med' when you mean you live in her home.

    Different MeaningJeg bor med min tante.
    Jeg bor hos min tante.

    'Jeg bor med min tante' is a good sentence, but it says you and your aunt live together. 'Jeg bor hos min tante' says you are living in her home.

  • Using subject pronouns instead of object pronouns.

    Kom hjem til mad hos jeg.
    Kom hjem til mad hos mig.

    Prepositions in Danish always require the object form of the pronoun.

How It Connects

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

hosLevel 1At Someone's Place (Hos)

Learn This First

To use 'hos' correctly, you need to understand how to refer to people using object pronouns (like 'mig' or 'dem') and how to identify people or professions using indefinite articles.

Words in This Pattern

hos