vi/I/de

Subject Pronouns Plural

Level 1

Danish uses vi (we), I (you all), and de (they) to refer to groups of people. Unlike English, the plural 'you' (I) is always capitalized.

How It Works

In Danish, plural subject pronouns are straightforward but have a few specific rules:

  • vi (we): Used when the speaker is part of the group.
  • I (you all): Used when addressing two or more people. Crucially, this is always capitalized in Danish to distinguish it from the preposition i (in). Note that related forms like jer (you all, object) and jeres (your, plural) are not capitalized.
  • de (they): Used to refer to a group of people or things. It serves as the plural form for both den and det.

Danish is much simpler than many other European languages because the verb does not conjugate for person or number. For example, the present tense form taler (speak/speaks) is used for all subjects: jeg taler (singular) and vi taler (plural).

Note that while there is a formal version of 'you' (De), it is rare in modern Denmark. It remains in some formal, traditional, or service situations, depending on the speaker and setting; it is not restricted to royalty. It may sound distant where du/I is expected. In almost all situations, use I when talking to a group.

Pronunciation And Capitals: de (they) and formal De (you) are pronounced [di] in ordinary unstressed use. Formal address keeps capitals throughout its paradigm: De, Dem, Deres; ordinary third-person plural uses de, dem, deres except at a sentence start. I stays capitalized but its related forms jer, jeres normally do not. Sentence-initial De can mean they or formal you; context disambiguates it.

Examples (6)

  1. Vi taler dansk.

    We speak Danish.

    Word by Word: We speak Danish.

    'Vi' is the first-person plural pronoun 'we'.

  2. Hvad laver I i dag?

    What are you (all) doing today?

    Word by Word: What do you-all in day?

    Notice that 'I' (you all) is capitalized, while 'i' (in) is lowercase.

  3. De bor i København.

    They live in Copenhagen.

    Word by Word: They live in Copenhagen.

    'De' is the third-person plural pronoun 'they'.

  4. Hvor er bøgerne? De er meget dyre.

    Where are the books? They are very expensive.

    Word by Word: Where are books-the? They are very expensive.

    'De' is used as the plural for both people and things (the plural of 'den' and 'det').

  5. Vi spiser frokost nu.

    We are eating lunch now.

    Word by Word: We eat lunch now.

    Danish uses the same verb form for 'we eat' as it does for 'I eat' or 'they eat'.

  6. Kommer I til festen?

    Are you (all) coming to the party?

    Word by Word: Come you-all to party-the?

    Using 'I' clearly indicates you are asking a group of people, not just one person.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the plural 'you' (I) with a lowercase 'i'.

    Hvad laver i?
    Hvad laver I?

    In Danish, the pronoun 'I' must always be capitalized to avoid confusion with the preposition 'i' (in).

  • Using 'du' (singular you) when speaking to the whole group.

    Different MeaningHej venner, er du klar?
    Hej venner, er I klar?

    Danish strictly distinguishes between singular 'du' and plural 'I'. If you are talking to the whole group, you must use 'I'. 'Hej venner, er du klar?' is fine if you ask just one of them.

  • Capitalizing 'jeg' (I) in the middle of a sentence like in English.

    Min ven og Jeg går en tur.
    Min ven og jeg går en tur.

    Unlike English, the Danish word for 'I' (jeg) is only capitalized if it starts a sentence. Plural I and formal De/Dem/Deres keep capitals inside a sentence; jeg does not.

How It Connects

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vi/I/deLevel 1Subject Pronouns Plural

Learn This First

Before learning the plural subject pronouns (vi, I, de), it is helpful to understand the singular subject pronouns and the basic structure of a Danish sentence.

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viIde