Der er (There is/are) in Danish

Overview

The construction der er (there is/there are) is one of the most common sentence patterns in Danish and is used to state that something exists or is present somewhere. At the A1 level, this construction allows you to describe scenes, point out things, and make observations.

Unlike English, which distinguishes "there is" (singular) from "there are" (plural), Danish uses der er for both. The verb er does not change based on what follows: Der er en kat (There is a cat) and Der er mange katte (There are many cats) both use er.

In questions, the word order inverts: Er der en bank i naerheden? (Is there a bank nearby?). In the past tense, der var is used. This construction is the traditional opening for fairy tales: Der var engang... (Once upon a time there was...).

How It Works

Basic structure

Type	Pattern	Example	Translation
Positive	Der er + noun	Der er en kat i haven.	There is a cat in the garden.
Negative	Der er ikke + noun	Der er ikke nogen kaffe.	There isn't any coffee.
Question	Er der + noun?	Er der en bank her?	Is there a bank here?
Past	Der var + noun	Der var mange mennesker.	There were many people.

With quantity words

Danish	English
Der er mange studerende.	There are many students.
Der er lidt mælk.	There is a little milk.
Der er ikke nok stole.	There aren't enough chairs.
Der er for mange biler.	There are too many cars.

Examples in Context

Danish	English	Note
Der er en kat i haven.	There is a cat in the garden.	Singular, present
Der er mange mennesker her.	There are many people here.	Plural, same verb form
Er der en bank i nærheden?	Is there a bank nearby?	Question: inversion
Der var engang en prinsesse.	Once upon a time there was a princess.	Fairy tale opening
Der er ikke nogen kaffe.	There isn't any coffee.	Negative with nogen
Der er to badeværelser.	There are two bathrooms.	Counting
Er der nogen hjemme?	Is anyone home?	Question
Der er koldt i dag.	It's cold today.	Weather (impersonal)
Der var mange turister i sommer.	There were many tourists this summer.	Past tense
Der er noget galt.	Something is wrong.	Abstract existence

Common Mistakes

Using det er instead of der er

• Wrong: Det er en kat i haven. (for "there is a cat in the garden")
• Right: Der er en kat i haven.
• Why: Der er introduces existence or presence. Det er means "it is" and is used for identification: Det er min kat (It is/That is my cat).

Changing the verb for plural

• Wrong: Der er en kat. Der ere mange katte.
• Right: Der er en kat. Der er mange katte.
• Why: Danish uses er for both singular and plural. There is no separate plural verb form.

Forgetting inversion in questions

• Wrong: Der er en læge her?
• Right: Er der en læge her?
• Why: Yes/no questions require verb-first order. Invert der and er to form the question.

Usage Notes

The construction der er is one of the most common sentence starters in Danish. It works for both singular and plural: der er en kat (there is a cat), der er mange katte (there are many cats). In questions, it inverts to er der. The past form der var is frequently used in storytelling, as in the classic fairy tale opening der var engang (once upon a time).

Practice Tips

• Describe rooms and scenes. Look around and list what you see: Der er et bord. Der er fire stole. Der er en lampe. This builds fluency with the construction.
• Practice questions and answers. Ask and answer: Er der en supermarked i naerheden? Ja, der er et supermarked pa hjornet.
• Use der var for storytelling. Practice retelling simple stories or describing what you did yesterday: Der var mange mennesker i parken.

Related Concepts

• Vaere (to be) - Parent concept