Saying "A" and "An"
In the previous lesson, you learned that Danish attaches a suffix to the end of a noun to say "the" (like -en or -et). To say "a" or "an", Danish works exactly like English: you place an independent word before the noun.
Since Danish nouns have two genders, there are two words for "a / an":
- For common nouns, use en.
- For neuter nouns, use et.
Notice that the indefinite articles en and et match the exact same letters used for the definite suffixes. If a word uses en for "a" (en dreng), it will take -en for "the" (drengen).
| He is a boy. | Han er en dreng. |
| She is a girl. | Hun er en pige. |
| You are a child. | Du er et barn. |
Seeing Things
Let's introduce a new verb: se (to see).
Just like er (am/are/is), Danish verbs don't change form to match the subject. In the present tense, "see" or "sees" is always ser.
| I see a man. | Jeg ser en mand. |
| I see a house there. | Jeg ser et hus der. |
Mixing "A" and "The"
Now you have two distinct ways to talk about nouns. Always remember the difference in placement:
- En hund = A dog (Indefinite article in the front)
- Hunden = The dog (Definite suffix at the back)
Let's see indefinite and definite nouns working together in the same sentences:
| The cat and an apple are here. | Katten og et æble er her. |
| A dog is there, and the table is here. | En hund er der, og bordet er her. |
| The boy sees a woman. | Drengen ser en kvinde. |