Definite and Indefinite Article
All nouns in Danish are either common or neuter in gender. About 75% of nouns are of
common gender, but many very frequently used nouns are neuter.
Indefinite Article (a/an)
A/an is expressed by en with common nouns and by et with neuter nouns. Indefinite plurals are formed by adding -e or -er to the singular.
| |
singular |
plural |
common
neuter |
| en bil |
|
a car |
| et hus |
|
a house |
|
|
Some nouns remain unchanged in the plural and some others are irregular.
| singular |
plural |
| et rum |
|
a room |
| en bog |
|
a book |
|
|
Definite Article (the)
The definite article is tagged onto the end of the noun. In the singular, common nouns
take an -en ending, neuter nouns take an -et
ending. In the plural, both take an -(e)ne or -(er)ne ending.
| |
singular |
plural |
common
neuter |
| bilen |
|
the car |
| toget |
|
the train |
|
| bilerne |
|
the cars |
| togene |
|
the trains |
|
Here are some more examples with both definite/indefinite and singular/plural
forms:
| |
singular |
plural |
| |
indefinite |
definite |
indefinite |
definite |
| common |
| en bil |
|
a car |
| en skole |
|
a school |
| en stol |
|
a stool |
| en mus |
|
a mouse |
| en chip |
|
a chip |
|
| bilen |
|
the car |
| skolen |
|
the school |
| stolen |
|
the stool |
| musen |
|
the mouse |
| chippen |
|
the chip |
|
| biler |
|
cars |
| skoler |
|
schools |
| stole |
|
stools |
| mus |
|
mice |
| chips |
|
chips |
|
| bilerne |
|
the cars |
| skolerne |
|
the schools |
| stolene |
|
the stools |
| musene |
|
the mice |
| chipsene |
|
the chips |
|
| neuter |
| et hotel |
|
a hotel |
| et hus |
|
a house |
| et år |
|
a year |
|
| hotellet |
|
the hotel |
| huset |
|
the house |
| året |
|
the year |
|
| hoteller |
|
hotels |
| huse |
|
houses |
| år |
|
years |
|
| hotellerne |
|
the hotels |
| husene |
|
the houses |
| årene |
|
the years |
|
Danish for English Speakers
Copyright © Gordon Smyth