Absolute Degree Compounds
Sometimes, saying "very" or "extremely" isn't strong enough. To intensify adjectives to an absolute degree, Danish frequently combines a specific noun with an adjective to create a single, vivid compound word. For example, instead of just "very cold", you can say "ice-cold" (iskold).
| The desert was burning hot, whereas the cave was ice-cold. | Ørkenen var brandvarm, hvorimod hulen var iskold. |
| The dragon has a giant head and coal black eyes. | Dragen har et kæmpestort hoved og kulsorte øjne. |
Notice how the first part of the word is usually a noun (like kul for coal, is for ice, or lyn for lightning), and the second part is the base adjective.
Adjective Inflection
Even though they are compound words, these absolute adjectives still follow standard Danish adjective agreement rules. The ending of the adjective modifies to match the noun it describes—adding an -t for neuter nouns, and an -e for plural or definite nouns.
For example, brandvarm (burning hot) takes an -t to become brandvarmt when describing a neuter noun:
| The knight's new sword is burning hot. | Ridderens nye sværd er brandvarmt. |
Similarly, knivskarp (razor-sharp) takes an -e when describing a plural noun like skæl (scales), or when used after a definite article:
| The giant monster actually has razor sharp scales. | Det kæmpestore uhyre har faktisk knivskarpe skæl. |
| The hero felt the razor sharp claw on his back. | Helten mærkede den knivskarpe klo på sin ryg. |