mon

I Wonder (Mon)

Level 4

Use mon to turn a direct question into a speculative musing. It signals that you are pondering something rather than demanding a factual answer.

How It Works

The particle mon is a hallmark of natural Danish, used to soften questions and express uncertainty or curiosity.

1. Syntax and Word Order
When mon starts a sentence, the word order is Subject + Verb. This differs from standard Yes/No Questions which require inversion.

  • Standard: Kommer han? (Is he coming?)
  • With mon: Mon han kommer? (I wonder if he is coming?)

2. Placement of Adverbs
Because mon triggers subordinate clause word order, sentence adverbs (like ikke, aldrig, or måske) must be placed before the verb.

  • Mon han ikke kommer? (I wonder if he isn't coming?)

3. Placement in Wh-questions
In Wh-questions, mon can be placed in two ways:

  • After the verb: Hvor er han mon? (Where might he be, I wonder?) — This uses standard question inversion.
  • After the Wh-word: Hvad mon han laver? (I wonder what he is doing?) — This triggers Subject + Verb order.

4. Idiomatic Responses
You can use Mon? on its own to mean "Really?" or "Do you think so?", and Mon ikke! to mean "Absolutely!" or "You bet!"

5. Register
Mon is very common in spoken Danish and literature to add a reflective tone. However, it is generally avoided in formal, technical, or bureaucratic writing where directness is preferred.

Indirect questions: Use om to introduce an embedded yes/no question: Jeg ved ikke, om han kommer (I do not know whether he is coming). Mon is not a drop-in replacement for that conjunction. It can nevertheless occur as a particle inside an indirect question: Hun tænkte på, om han mon havde tid (she wondered whether he might have time). Thus mon is not restricted to independent questions.

Related form: Monstro has a similar wondering meaning but sounds old-fashioned; ordinary mon is the useful everyday form.

Examples (6)

  1. Mon han har tid til at hjælpe os i dag?

    I wonder if he has time to help us today?

    Word by Word: Wonder he has time to to help us in day?

    Notice the straight word order (han har) following 'mon'.

  2. Hvor mon de har gjort af nøglerne?

    Where do you suppose they put the keys?

    Word by Word: Where wonder they have done of keys-the?

    Here 'mon' is placed after the question word to add a speculative tone.

  3. Mon ikke de vinder kampen?

    Surely they will win the match?

    Word by Word: Wonder not they win match-the?

    'Mon ikke' expresses a strong expectation that the answer is 'yes'.

  4. Mon han aldrig lærer det?

    I wonder if he will never learn it?

    Word by Word: Wonder he never learns it?

    Because 'mon' triggers subordinate word order, the adverb 'aldrig' comes before the verb.

  5. A: Tror du, det bliver solskin? B: Mon ikke!

    A: Do you think it will be sunny? B: You bet!

    Word by Word: A: Think you, it becomes sunshine? B: Wonder not!

    'Mon ikke!' is a common idiomatic response meaning 'Absolutely!' or 'I should think so!'

  6. Hvem er det mon, der banker på døren?

    Who might it be, I wonder, knocking on the door?

    Word by Word: Who is it wonder, that knocks on door-the?

    In this wh-question, 'mon' is placed after the verb 'er'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using inverted word order (Verb-Subject) after 'mon'.

    Mon kommer han i morgen?
    Mon han kommer i morgen?

    Even though it functions as a question, 'mon' at the start of a sentence requires straight word order (Subject then Verb).

  • Placing 'ikke' after the verb when starting with 'mon'.

    Mon han kommer ikke?
    Mon han ikke kommer?

    When 'mon' triggers subordinate clause word order, sentence adverbs like 'ikke' must be placed before the verb.

  • Placing mon awkwardly before the question-word phrase in the basic model.

    Mon hvad klokken er?
    Hvad er klokken?

    Mon adds a wondering or tentative tone even to factual questions: Hvad er klokken mon? is possible. The neutral direct question is Hvad er klokken?; the issue is word order and tone, not a prohibition against asking about facts.

How It Connects

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monLevel 4I Wonder (Mon)

Learn This First

To use 'mon' correctly, you need to understand how basic questions are formed in Danish, as 'mon' acts as a particle that softens a direct question into a speculative thought. Familiarity with both yes/no and question-word structures is essential, as is understanding negation for the common phrase 'mon ikke'.

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mon