der er
There Is / There Are (Der Er)
der er = there is / there are.
It is used to say that something exists or is present. Unlike English, the verb er never changes, even if the subject is plural.
How It Works
The construction der er is the standard way to introduce new information or objects into a conversation.
1. The V2 Rule: Danish requires the verb to be the second element in a main clause. When there is no specific subject to start the sentence, der acts as a placeholder.
2. Indefinite Nouns: You use der er with indefinite nouns (e.g., en kage, mange biler). If you want to talk about a specific, known object, you usually start with the noun itself (e.g., 'Bilen er der' - The car is there).
3. No Plural Change: In English, we switch between 'there is' and 'there are'. In Danish, it is always er.
- Der er en hund (There is a dog)
- Der er to hunde (There are two dogs)
4. Pronunciation: In fast, spoken Danish, der er often blends together and sounds like a short 'da' [dɑ].
5. Questions: To ask if something exists, simply swap the word order: Er der...?
Examples (5)
- Der er en kat i haven.
There is a cat in the garden.
Word by Word: There is a cat in garden-the.
Here, 'der er' introduces a single, indefinite object (a cat).
- Der er mange mennesker i parken i dag.
There are many people in the park today.
Word by Word: There are many people in park-the in day.
Notice that 'er' remains singular even though 'mange mennesker' (many people) is plural.
- Er der et toilet her?
Is there a toilet here?
Word by Word: Is there a toilet here?
In questions, the verb 'er' moves to the first position.
- Der er ikke mere kaffe.
There is no more coffee.
Word by Word: There is not more coffee.
Using 'ikke' (not) with 'der er' shows the non-existence of something.
- Der er nogen, der banker på døren.
There is someone who is knocking on the door.
Word by Word: There is someone, who knocks on door-the.
This shows the 'dummy subject' der followed by the relative pronoun 'der' (who/that).
Common Mistakes
Using 'det er' instead of 'der er' to introduce existence.
Det er en kage på bordet.Der er en kage på bordet.'Det er' means 'It is' (identifying something). 'Der er' means 'There is' (stating existence).
Using 'der er' with a definite noun.
Different MeaningDer er bilen.Bilen er der.'Der er bilen' is fine when you point at it: 'There is the car'. To state that a car exists, use an indefinite noun (Der er en bil). With a definite noun, put it first: Bilen er der.
Using 'der er' for weather conditions.
Der er regner.Det regner.Weather expressions in Danish always use 'det' as the subject, never 'der'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'der er', you need to be familiar with the verb 'være' (to be) and how 'der' functions as a placeholder subject. It is also helpful to understand basic word order to see how 'der' occupies the subject position to introduce new information.
Related Patterns
- det erIt Is (Det Er)
'Det er' is often confused with 'der er'; 'det er' identifies what something is, while 'der er' states that it exists.
Level 1 - Verb-Second Word Order
'Der' acts as a placeholder to ensure the verb stays in the second position of the sentence.
Level 2 - der (relativpronomen)Who / Which as Subject (Der)
The word 'der' can also function as a relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which', often appearing in the same sentence as existential 'der'.
Level 2 - Finite Verb + ikkePlacement of Ikke
Learn where to place 'ikke' when negating existential sentences (e.g., 'Der er ikke...').
Level 2 - Weather Expressions
Contrast 'der er' with weather patterns which exclusively use 'det'.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice der er in Bubblegum
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