Language/Danish/Grammar/Adjective-Forms-and-Agreement
Introduction
In this lesson, we will be discussing the use of adjectives in the Danish language. We will be exploring different adjective forms and how they agree with nouns in gender and number. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use adjectives correctly in your Danish sentences.
Adjective Forms
In Danish, adjectives are formed by adding an ending to the base form of the word. There are two forms of adjectives in Danish: the indefinite form and the definite form.
Indefinite Form
The indefinite form of an adjective is used when the noun it describes is indefinite. Here is an example:
| Danish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| en stor kat | en stor kat | a big cat |
In the example above, "stor" is the indefinite form of the adjective "big," and it agrees with the gender of the noun "kat" (cat), which is feminine.
Definite Form
The definite form of an adjective is used when the noun it describes is definite. Here is an example:
| Danish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| den store kat | den stow-re kat | the big cat |
In the example above, "store" is the definite form of the adjective "big," and it agrees with the gender and the number of the noun "kat" (cat), which is singular and feminine.
Agreement with Nouns
In Danish, adjectives must agree with the gender, number, and definiteness of the noun they describe. This means that the ending of the adjective must change to match the noun it describes. Let's take a closer look:
Gender Agreement
In Danish, nouns are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. Adjectives must agree with the gender of the noun they describe. Here are some examples:
| Danish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| en lille dreng | en lil-le dreng | a little boy |
| Danish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| en lille pige | en lil-le pi-ye | a little girl |
In the examples above, "lille" is the indefinite form of the adjective "little," and it agrees with the gender of the noun it describes. In the first example, the noun "dreng" (boy) is masculine, so the adjective takes the masculine ending "-e." In the second example, the noun "pige" (girl) is feminine, so the adjective takes the feminine ending "-ye."
Number Agreement
In Danish, nouns can be singular or plural. Adjectives must agree with the number of the noun they describe. Here are some examples:
| Danish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| en stor kat | en stor kat | a big cat |
| Danish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| to store katte | to sto-re kat-te | two big cats |
In the examples above, "stor" is the indefinite form of the adjective "big," and it agrees with the number of the noun it describes. In the first example, the noun "kat" (cat) is singular, so the adjective takes the singular ending "-t." In the second example, the noun "katte" (cats) is plural, so the adjective takes the plural ending "-te."
Definiteness Agreement
In Danish, adjectives must also agree with the definiteness of the noun they describe. The definite form of an adjective is used when the noun is definite, and the indefinite form is used when the noun is indefinite. Here are some examples:
| Danish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| en lille hund | en lil-le hun | a small dog |
| Danish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| den lille hund | den lil-le hun | the small dog |
In the first example above, "lille" is the indefinite form of the adjective "small," and it agrees with the gender of the noun "hund" (dog), which is feminine. In the second example, "lille" is the definite form of the adjective "small," and it agrees with the gender and number of the noun "hund" (dog), which is singular and feminine.
Practice Exercises
Now it's time to practice what you've learned! In this section, you will find some exercises to help you use adjectives correctly in Danish.
Exercise 1: Gender Agreement
Complete the following sentences by adding the correct form of the adjective in parentheses. Pay attention to the gender of the noun.
- Han har en __(stor)__ hest. (masculine)
- Hun har en __(lille)__ kat. (feminine)
- Den har en __(lang)__ hale. (neuter)
Answers:
- Han har en stor hest.
- Hun har en lille kat.
- Den har en lang hale.
Exercise 2: Number Agreement
Complete the following sentences by adding the correct form of the adjective in parentheses. Pay attention to the number of the noun.
- Jeg har __(to store)__ tasker med. (plural)
- Han har __(en stor)__ taske med. (singular)
- Der er __(mange små)__ blomster i haven. (plural)
Answers:
- Jeg har to store tasker med.
- Han har en stor taske med.
- Der er mange små blomster i haven.
Exercise 3: Definite Form
Complete the following sentences by adding the correct form of the adjective in parentheses. Pay attention to the definiteness of the noun.
- Han købte __(en ny)__ cykel i går. (indefinite)
- Hun har __(den sorte)__ taske med. (definite)
- Katte i Danmark er __(de søde)__ dyr. (definite, plural)
Answers:
- Han købte en ny cykel i går.
- Hun har den sorte taske med.
- Katte i Danmark er de søde dyr.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully learned about adjective forms and agreement in Danish. In this lesson, you learned how to use both indefinite and definite adjective forms, as well as how to make adjectives agree with the gender, number, and definiteness of the noun they describe. Keep practicing and you will soon be able to use adjectives confidently in your Danish conversations.
Related Lessons
- The Genitive Case in Danish
- Conditional Mood
- How to use “to speak” in Danish
- Give your Opinion
- Plurals and Possessives
- Regular Verbs
- Pronouns
- Negation
- The Accusative Case in Danish
- Verbs (Present Tense)
Sources