Questions & Answers about Vi kender tres lærere.
Why is the word for sixty tres?
Danish numbers from 50 to 90 are based on counting by twenties. Tres is short for an older word, tresindstyve, which literally means three times twenty (3 x 20 = 60).
Why do we use kender for the English word know instead of ved?
Danish has two different verbs for knowing. You use kender when you are familiar with a person, place, or thing, like knowing a group of teachers. You use ved when you know a fact or a piece of information.
Why does the plural word lærere end in -e instead of the usual -er?
The singular form is en lærer (a teacher). Because the base word already ends in -er, Danish just adds an -e to make it plural, which avoids an awkward double -er ending.