Old Plural Verb Forms

Level 6

Until 1900, written Danish required verbs to have a plural form when the subject was plural (vi, I, de). While long dead in speech, you will see this in classic literature, hymns, and old Bibles.

How It Works

Historically, Danish followed a system of number agreement similar to German or Latin. Although this disappeared from spoken Danish centuries ago, it remained a strict rule in formal writing until the Spelling Reform of 1900.

1. Present Tense Changes
The standard modern present tense -r was dropped or replaced by -e for plural subjects:

  • Singular: Jeg elsker (I love) → Plural: Vi elske (We love)
  • Singular: Han kommer (He comes) → Plural: De komme (They come)

Irregular verbs had specific plural forms:

  • er → ere
  • har → have
  • gør → gøre

2. Past Tense (Strong Verbs)
Strong verbs (those that change vowels) often added an -e in the plural:

  • Singular: Han tog (He took) → Plural: De toge
  • Singular: Jeg fik (I got) → Plural: Vi finge (Note: some forms also had vowel shifts)

3. Plural Imperative
When giving a command to multiple people, an -er suffix was added to the imperative stem:

  • Singular: Hør! (Listen!) → Plural: Hører! (Listen ye!)

Examples (4)

  1. Vi ere en Nation, vi med det danske Sprog.

    We are a nation, we with the Danish language.

    Word by Word: We are a nation, we with the Danish language.

    Uses 'ere' (plural) instead of the modern 'er' because the subject 'vi' is plural.

  2. Og de toge af Sted og prædikede.

    And they went away and preached.

    Word by Word: And they took of place and preached.

    The strong verb 'tog' (past tense of 'tage') adds an '-e' because the subject 'de' (they) is plural.

  3. Søger, saa skulle I finde.

    Seek (ye), and you shall find.

    Word by Word: Seek, so shall you find.

    Uses the plural imperative 'søger' and the plural auxiliary 'skulle' (modern: 'skal') to address 'I' (plural you).

  4. Alle Fugle synge nu.

    All birds sing now.

    Word by Word: All birds sing now.

    In modern Danish this would be 'synger'. In the old style, the '-r' is dropped for the plural subject 'Alle Fugle'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using plural forms in modern writing to sound formal.

    Vi have mange penge.
    Vi har mange penge.

    Using 'have' as a plural verb today is grammatically incorrect and sounds like you are writing a 19th-century hymn. Always use the singular form for all subjects in modern Danish.

  • Using the old plural verb form in modern Danish.

    De komme nu.
    De kommer nu.

    Older texts used 'komme' for 'they come', so the form looks like the infinitive. Today every subject takes the same present form: 'De kommer nu'. The old plural form sounds like a very old text.

How It Connects

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

Old Plural Verb FormsLevel 6

Learn This First

To understand old plural verb forms, you need to be familiar with plural subject pronouns (vi, I, de) and the modern way of conjugating verbs, which no longer distinguishes between singular and plural. Knowing the basic forms of common verbs like 'være' helps you recognize their historical counterparts in older texts.