# Danish: med vs. hos



## Sesio

I've come across the expression "at bo hos", which I know means "to stay with" (or so I've gathered). Before finding out about "hos", I would have used "med" instead if I had been asked to talk about a temporary stay. My question is: would "med" be wrong there? What are other frequent uses of "hos" that I should be aware of? Mange tak.

(Post has been edited for clarity)


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## Sepia

No, "med" would not work here. "bo sammen med" would, but that would usually be more permant.

Frequent uses: "hos" + Any personal pronoun or noun, or proper name referring to a person, group of persons.


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## Sesio

Thanks!

About 'hos + noun/pronoun' - what verbs would work with that? Just 'at bo'? What changes when other verbs are followed by 'hos' compared to 'med' (if any)?


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## Sepia

Any verb that defines being there - not moving there. Bo, sidde, etc.


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## MindBoggle

At bo hos = to live with somebody else in a place owned by him or her (I am a guest).
At bo (sammen) med = to live with somebody else in a place owned by both (I am not a guest).




> About 'hos + noun/pronoun' - what verbs would work with that?



Any verb is fine. The basic meaning of 'hos' is simply 'in X's place', derived from an old meaning of 'next to'. The English equivalent is 'by', German 'bei', French 'chez', Russian 'u', although of course these languages don't use the word exactly like in Danish.


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## Sesio

So, I'm not likely to find myself using 'hos' except with 'at bo' to mean 'to stay as a guest with'.


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## raumar

No, that is not the case. You will probably use it more often that that. For example: 

Jeg er hos Martin - I am at Martin's place 
Jeg er hos tandlægen - I am at the dentist's office


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## bicontinental

Hi Sesio,

Prepositions are hard to master in any language… you exchange one preposition for another and the meaning of the sentence may change significantly. This is also why it is difficult to give detailed and complete explanations of this topic without a specific context or specific sentence examples.



> So, I'm not likely to find myself using 'hos' except with 'at bo' to mean 'to stay as a guest with'.



Generally speaking, _hos_ describes a link, a connection, an association between or among things/individuals, and as such it is used in many different contexts other than _at bo hos nogen_, 
(I apologize if I misunderstood your question…maybe you have a specific sentence you´re struggling with. If so, feel free to post it.)

You will find discussions and more examples of usage of this particular preposition in this Danish online dictionary: http://ordnet.dk/ddo/ordbog?query=hos&tab=for

Bic.


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## Sesio

Thanks, raumar. That definitely opens up a wider range of expressions in which 'hos' will come handy!

Actually, bicontinental, I wanted to know more about 'at bo hos' and I've ended up discovering there's a lot more to it! I've only come across 'hos' in 'at bo hos nogen' kind of sentences so far in my short learning experience, so I wasn't really aware that you could use it in different instances.


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## MindBoggle

*Hos tandlægen* is the same thing: I'm in the dentist's place.

*Jeg er hos Peter.* = I'm at Peter's place (i.e. in his private home as a guest).
*Jeg er hos lægen.* = I'm at the doctor's place (i.e. at his office as a client).
*Jeg er hos købmanden.* = I'm at the grocer's place (i.e. in his shop as a customer).
*Jeg er hos frisøren.* = I'm at the hairdresser's place (i.e. in his salon as a client).

This is the normal meaning in contemporary Danish. It's true that it comes from a broader meaning of 'placement next to' or 'close connection of some sort', and this broader meaning is revealed in for example:

*Hvad er det hos ham, du ikke kan lide?* = What is it _about him_ you don't like?

Here the personal traits of a person is seen as something 'next to' or rather 'co-existent with' that person, and therefore *hos* may be used. This usage is similar to the slavic use of *u* to indicate possession. What is it, _that he has_, you don't like?
In such constructions, however, the preposition *ved*, which has the same basic meaning of _next to_ or _near_, is more common.


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## Sesio

Thanks for all the examples! I'm overwhelmed with the outpouring of advice!


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## MindBoggle

You're welcome, mate. 
Everybody loves his mother. And everybody loves his mother tongue. 
Therefore, if you need advice on language, you will find it easy to get.


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