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Danish prepositions: i, på, til and af explained
Use i for countries, cities and inside things, på for surfaces, most islands and many workplaces, til for where you are going, and af for by, of and what something is made of. The rest are fixed phrases that are best learned as whole units.
i or på for places
This is the pair learners ask about most. A useful starting point: i means inside, på means on or at.
| i | på |
|---|---|
| i Danmark, i Aarhus | på Fyn, på Bornholm |
| i køkkenet, i skabet | på bordet, på væggen |
| i bilen, i toget | på cyklen |
| i banken, i skole | på arbejde, på biblioteket, på hospitalet |
Islands take på, but the mainland peninsula is i Jylland. Workplaces and institutions are the least logical group: på biblioteket but i banken. Learn those as pairs.
Quick check
“My parents live on Funen.” Mine forældre bor ___ Fyn.
på Fyn. Danish islands take på: på Fyn, på Sjælland, på Bornholm.
Show answer
på Fyn. Islands take på.
Time: i, på and om
| Danish | English |
|---|---|
| i dag, i går, i morgen | today, yesterday, tomorrow |
| i weekenden | at the weekend |
| på mandag | this coming Monday |
| om mandagen | on Mondays (every week) |
| i mandags | last Monday |
| i sommer | this summer |
| om sommeren | in summer (in general) |
| i to år | for two years |
| for to år siden | two years ago |
| om to timer | in two hours |
Quick check
“See you on Monday!” (this coming Monday) Vi ses ___ mandag!
på mandag. A specific day coming up takes på. om mandagen would mean every Monday.
Show answer
på mandag. A specific coming day takes på.
til: where you are going
til marks the destination. Compare being somewhere with going somewhere:
- Jeg er i Aarhus.I'm in Aarhus.
- Jeg tager til Aarhus.I'm going to Aarhus.
- Jeg skal til lægen.I'm going to the doctor's.
af: by, of and made of
- en roman af Karen Blixena novel by Karen Blixen
- et bord lavet af træa table made of wood
- en af mine vennerone of my friends
Fixed phrases: learn them as one word
Many verbs and adjectives always take the same preposition, and it is often not the one English uses. Learn the whole unit:
| Danish | English |
|---|---|
| tænke på | think about |
| vente på | wait for |
| drømme om | dream about |
| lede efter | look for |
| passe på | take care of, watch out |
| interesseret i | interested in |
| glad for | fond of |
| bange for | afraid of |
| træt af | tired of |
Quick check
“I'm waiting for the bus.” Jeg venter ___ bussen.
vente på. English says wait for, but Danish always says vente på.
Show answer
på. Danish says vente på.
Frequently asked questions
When do you use i and when på in Danish?
Use i for countries, cities and inside closed spaces (i Danmark, i køkkenet). Use på for surfaces, most islands and many workplaces and institutions (på bordet, på Fyn, på biblioteket). Some places simply have to be learned as pairs.
How do you say “on Monday” in Danish?
På mandag means this coming Monday. Om mandagen means on Mondays in general. I mandags means last Monday.
What is the difference between i to år and for to år siden?
I to år means for two years (a duration). For to år siden means two years ago.
Do Danish verbs have fixed prepositions?
Yes. Many verbs and adjectives always take the same preposition, for example tænke på, vente på, drømme om, interesseret i and glad for. Learn them together as one unit.
Practise it. Præpositionsmester quizzes you on i, på, til, af and more, and Dansk Mester drills verbs with fixed prepositions. Both games are in Danish.
Play Præpositionsmester → Play Dansk Mester →