Page:A simplified grammar of the Danish language.djvu/70

58 his coat on the tree;' Kjolen hang på Træet, 'The coat was hanging on the tree.'

Many intransitive verbs acquire a transitive character by a mere "umlaut," or change of the vowel; as,

Deponent verbs are declined in all their simple tenses like passives, viz., by adding s or es to the corresponding tenses of the active form. In their compound tenses they employ the active auxiliary at have. Their supine is formed by the addition of t or ts; but, for the sake of euphony, this rule is frequently disregarded, and des or edes is employed for the older and more correct form; as, instead of writing Det har lykkets mig, 'I have succeeded,' we find Det er lykket mig, or Det lykkedes mig.

Verbs having a reciprocative sense assume the passive form when used simply with the subject-noun, or pronoun; as, de ses, 'they see each other;' Hans og Jens slås, 'Hans (John) and Jens are fighting.' De slå hinanden, and de slås, convey different meanings; the former signifying 'they are beating each other,' while the latter implies the more forcible act of fighting.