Page:A Danish and Dano-Norwegian grammar.djvu/135

Rh

234. Reflexive verbs are those that always have as their object a pronoun denoting the same person as the subject; Ex. at skamme sig to feel ashamed; jeg skammer mig I feel ashamed, han skammer sig, vi skamme(r) os, I skamme(r) eder, de skamme(r) sig.

Transitive verbs may be used reflexively; Ex. at slaa sig to hurt one’s self (at slaa to beat); at vise sig to appear (at vise to show).

235. Impersonal verbs are those that have only the demonstrative pronoun neut. det as subject; Ex. det regner it rains; det sner it snows, etc.; det dages it dawns; det vaares spring comes; or there may be a definite subject of the 3d person; Ex. Forsöget mislykkedes the attempt was unsuccessful. En Ulykke hændte a misfortune happened (only the active hænde can be used in this manner, not hændes or hænde sig.)

Any passive form may be used impersonally; intransitive verbs cannot be used in passive, except impersonally. Such intransitive verbs used impersonally do not take the subject det, but in its stead the demonstrative adverb der is used; Ex. der reises meget i Norge i Sommer there is much travel going on in Norway this summer. In poetry der may be omitted: nu tales jo lydt om, at Folket er vakt now they talk so much about the people being aroused.