The emphatic determiner: selve
When you want to emphasize a specific noun, meaning "the very" or "[the thing] itself," Danish uses the emphatic determiner selve.
Place selve directly before a definite noun (which ends in the suffix -en or -et).
| They are looking forward to the summit itself. | De glæder sig til selve topmødet. |
| The ambassador signs the treaty itself. | Ambassadøren underskriver selve traktaten. |
Notice how topmødet (the summit) and traktaten (the treaty) keep their definite endings after selve.
High-stakes diplomacy
This structure is particularly useful in high-stakes diplomacy to distinguish between surrounding discussions and the core issue itself.
| The ceasefire itself is an important compromise. | Selve våbenhvilen er et vigtigt kompromis. |
| It is the alliance itself that is in danger. | Det er selve alliancen der er i fare. |
| The veto itself surprises the new ambassador. | Selve vetoet overrasker den nye ambassadør. |
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