Questions & Answers about Dets øje er blåt.
Why does the sentence use dets instead of dens for "its"?
In Danish, the word for "its" depends on the gender of the owner. You use dets when the owner of the eye is an et-word (like et monster, a monster). If the owner were an en-word (like en hund, a dog), you would use dens instead.
Wait, doesn't the possessive word normally match the object being owned, not the owner?
Usually, yes! For words like "my" (min or mit) and "your" (din or dit), the word changes to match the object you own. However, dens and dets are exceptions. They only care about the gender of the owner, regardless of whether the object they own is an en-word or an et-word.
Why is there a "t" at the end of blåt?
Adjectives in Danish have to match the gender of the noun they are describing. Because the word for eye (et øje) is an et-word, you must add a "t" to the basic adjective blå (blue) to make it blåt.
Are the "t"s at the end of dets and blåt pronounced?
The "t" in dets is silent in everyday speech, so the word sounds like "dess". However, the "t" at the end of blåt is pronounced clearly.
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