How Do Danish Adjectives Agree and Are Placed in Sentences?

Understanding Danish Adjectives

Danish adjectives play a crucial role in sentences, just like in English, providing more information about nouns. However, they differ in that they must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify.

Gender Agreement

In Danish, nouns can be common gender (n-words) or neuter gender (t-words). Adjectives must agree with these genders. For instance, a common gender noun requires the adjective to take a form slightly different from when it modifies a neuter noun.

Number Agreement

Adjectives in Danish also agree in number. Whether the noun is singular or plural can affect the form of the adjective, and in plural forms, the adjective often takes an 'e' ending.

Placement of Danish Adjectives

The position of adjectives in Danish sentences is slightly different from English. Usually, adjectives precede the noun, just like in English, but in certain cases, their position can change, especially in phrase structure.

Attributive Adjectives in Danish

Attributive adjectives appear before the noun they modify, similar to English. However, they need to match the gender and defineness of the noun.

Predicative Adjectives

Predicative adjectives, on the other hand, come after a linking verb, such as 'er' (is) or 'bliver' (becomes), and do not require an agreement in gender or plurality.