The negative prefix u-
In Danish, you can often form the opposite of an adjective by adding the prefix u-. This works just like the English prefixes un-, in-, im-, or ir-.
For example, retfærdig (fair) becomes uretfærdig (unfair), and rimelig (reasonable) becomes urimelig (unreasonable).
| It is unfair and unreasonable that she must work without getting paid. | Det er uretfærdigt og urimeligt at hun skal arbejde uden at få løn. |
Evaluating rules and actions
This prefix is highly useful for evaluating situations, rules, or behaviors.
| It is illegal and irresponsible to steal. | Det er ulovligt og uansvarligt at stjæle. |
| Is it illegal, or is it just an unfair rule? | Er det ulovligt, eller er det bare en uretfærdig regel? |
Expressing feelings and comfort
You can also use u- to describe physical states, comfort, or emotions. For instance, tålmodig (patient) becomes utålmodig (impatient), and behagelig (comfortable) becomes ubehagelig (uncomfortable).
| The man becomes impatient when he has to wait for the bus. | Manden bliver utålmodig når han skal vente på bussen. |
| The new sofa is impractical and quite uncomfortable to sit in. | Den nye sofa er upraktisk og ret ubehagelig at sidde i. |
Official status and validity
In more formal contexts, gyldig (valid) becomes ugyldig (invalid), and afhængig (dependent) becomes uafhængig (independent).
| The contract is invalid if they are not independent. | Kontrakten er ugyldig hvis de ikke er uafhængige. |
| It is the independent expert who calls the decision irresponsible. | Det er den uafhængige ekspert der kalder beslutningen uansvarlig. |
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