mig/dig/ham/hende

Object Pronouns Singular

Level 1

Danish uses specific pronoun forms like mig (me) and dig (you) when they are the object of a sentence, rather than the subject.

How It Works

In Danish, pronouns change their form based on their grammatical role. The singular object pronouns are:

  • mig (me) — from jeg
  • dig (you) — from du
  • ham (him) — from han
  • hende (her) — from hun
  • den/det (it) — these are invariant and stay the same as their subject forms
  • Dem (you) — the formal object form of De (Formal address is uncommon in everyday Danish but survives in some service, ceremonial, and formal contexts).

Usage Rules:
1. Direct/Indirect Objects: Used when receiving an action (e.g., 'Jeg ser ham').
2. Prepositions: Danish always requires the object form after prepositions like til or med.
3. Reflexive Use: When the subject and object are the same person, use the object form for 1st and 2nd person ('Jeg vasker mig', 'Du vasker dig'). For the 3rd person, both singular (han, hun, den, det) and plural (de), you must use the specific reflexive pronoun sig.
4. Word Order (Object Shift): In simple main clauses, unstressed light object pronouns shift to a position before ikke (e.g., 'Jeg kender ham ikke'). However, if an auxiliary verb is present, the pronoun stays after the negation (e.g., 'Jeg vil ikke se ham').

Plural reflexives: Vi vasker os (we wash ourselves), I vasker jer (you wash yourselves), De vasker sig (they wash themselves). An unstressed object shifts before ikke when the main verb has moved to the finite-verb position. A contrasted object can remain after it: Jeg ser ikke HAM, men HENDE (I see her, not him); the capital letters show emphasis, not normal spelling.

Examples (6)

  1. Kan du se mig?

    Can you see me?

    Word by Word: Can you see me?

    'Mig' is the object of the verb 'se' (to see).

  2. Jeg elsker dig.

    I love you.

    Word by Word: I love you.

    'Dig' is the object form of du.

  3. Gaven er til hende.

    The gift is for her.

    Word by Word: The gift is for her.

    After the preposition til, we must use the object form 'hende'.

  4. Jeg kender ham ikke.

    I don't know him.

    Word by Word: I know him not.

    Notice how the pronoun 'ham' moves before ikke.

  5. Han vasker sig.

    He washes himself.

    Word by Word: He washes self.

    We use sig because the object is the same as the subject.

  6. Jeg ser den.

    I see it.

    Word by Word: I see it.

    For common gender nouns, the pronoun den is the same in both subject and object forms.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the subject pronoun after a preposition.

    Han spiller med jeg.
    Han spiller med mig.

    In Danish, you must always use the object form (mig) after a preposition like med.

  • Placing an unstressed object pronoun after 'ikke' when there is no auxiliary verb.

    Different MeaningJeg ser ikke ham.
    Jeg ser ham ikke.

    In simple main clauses without a modal verb, unstressed light object pronouns shift to a position before ikke. However, if you use a modal like kan, the pronoun stays after: 'Jeg kan ikke se ham'.

  • Using 'ham/hende' instead of 'sig' when referring back to a 3rd person subject.

    Different MeaningHan vasker ham.
    Han vasker sig.

    If the object is the same person as the subject (he washes himself), you must use the reflexive pronoun sig. Using 'ham' implies he is washing someone else.

How It Connects

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mig/dig/ham/hendeLevel 1Object Pronouns Singular

Learn This First

To learn singular object pronouns, you need to be familiar with the corresponding subject pronouns and basic Danish sentence structure to know where these pronouns fit in a sentence.

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Patterns that build on this one.

And 3 more in the full list.

Words in This Pattern

migdighamhende