af

Of / by (Af)

Level 1

The Danish preposition af is a versatile word most commonly translated as 'of', 'by', or 'from'. It is used to describe what things are made of, why something happens, or who did an action in a passive sentence.

How It Works

The preposition af serves several distinct functions in Danish:

  • Passive Agent: It identifies who performed an action in a passive sentence (equivalent to 'by' in English). For example: Bogen er skrevet af ham (The book is written by him).
  • Material: It indicates what an object consists of. For example: Et bord af træ (A table of wood).
  • Cause or Reason: It expresses the source of an emotion or physical state. For example: Han græder af glæde (He cries out of joy) or at dø af sult (to die of hunger).
  • Partitive: It indicates a portion of a larger whole. For example: En del af kagen (A part of the cake).
  • Movement/Separation: It is used when moving away from or off something. For example: Han stiger af bussen (He gets off the bus).

Pronunciation Note: In natural speech, the 'f' in af is usually silent, sounding like a short 'a' [æ]. This makes it sound identical to the preposition ad, which can be confusing for learners.

Examples (5)

  1. Huset er bygget af sten.

    The house is built of stone.

    Word by Word: The-house is built of stone.

    Here 'af' indicates the material used to build the house.

  2. Jeg fik en gave af min mor.

    I got a gift from my mother.

    Word by Word: I got a gift of my mother.

    In this context, 'af' indicates the source/giver of the object.

  3. Mange af børnene leger.

    Many of the children are playing.

    Word by Word: Many of children-the play.

    This is the partitive use, showing a group within a larger whole.

  4. Han er træt af sit arbejde.

    He is tired of his work.

    Word by Word: He is tired of his work.

    This shows 'af' used to express the cause of a feeling (being tired).

  5. Filmen er instrueret af hende.

    The movie is directed by her.

    Word by Word: Movie-the is directed by her.

    This is the passive agent use, identifying the person who performed the action.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'af' for possession (like English 'of').

    Taget af huset
    Husets tag

    Danish uses the genitive -s or other prepositions like 'på' for possession. 'Af' is for origin or material, not ownership.

  • Using 'af' for quantities of food/drink.

    En kop af kaffe
    En kop kaffe

    When measuring quantities (a cup of, a glass of), Danish usually uses no preposition at all.

  • Using 'af' for transportation.

    Jeg kommer af bus.
    Jeg kommer med bus.

    To say you travel 'by' a certain method, Danish uses 'med', not 'af'.

How It Connects

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afLevel 1Of / by (Af)

Learn This First

The preposition 'af' is a foundational particle used to indicate composition, authorship, or parts of a whole. To use it correctly, learners should already be familiar with basic noun phrase construction using common and neuter indefinite articles.

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af