Breakdown of Vi ser de bløde puder.
se
to see / to look at
vi
we
de
the (plural, before adjective)
blød
soft
puden
the cushion
Questions & Answers about Vi ser de bløde puder.
Why does this sentence use de for 'the' instead of adding -ne to the end of puder?
This is the SWAP rule in action! Normally, 'the cushions' would be puderne. But when you add an adjective like bløde (soft) in front of the noun, you can't use the suffix anymore. Instead, you swap it for a free-standing word before the adjective, which is de for plural nouns.
Since we use de at the beginning, do we still put a suffix on puder?
No! This is a very common trap. Because the word for 'the' has moved to the front as de, the noun itself must remain bare. It is just puder (cushions), not puderne. You only get one 'the' per noun phrase!
Why does the adjective blød get an -e at the end here?
In Danish, adjectives almost always get an -e at the end when they are plural. Since puder is plural, blød becomes bløde. Even if it were a singular noun, the SWAP rule (having 'the' in front of the adjective) also forces the adjective to take that same -e ending.
Does the word puder mean 'cushions' or 'pillows'?
It can mean both! In Danish, en pude is used for both the pillows you sleep on in bed and the cushions you decorate a sofa with. You just rely on the context to know which one is meant.
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