Questions & Answers about Hans gamle hat er grøn.
Why is the adjective gamle used instead of gammel if hat is a singular word?
Even though hat is singular, it comes right after the possessive word hans (his). In Danish, whenever an adjective follows a possessive word, it must take its definite form, which usually ends in -e. Also, gammel is slightly irregular, so it drops an -m- and the inner -e- to become gamle.
Does hans change to match whether the noun is an en or et word?
No, it stays exactly the same! Unlike words such as min (my) which changes to mit for et words, the third-person possessives hans (his) and hendes (her) never change their form regardless of the noun's gender or if it is plural.
Why doesn't the word grøn also get an -e at the end like gamle did?
The rule about adding an -e after a possessive word only applies to adjectives placed directly in front of the noun, like gamle hat. Because grøn comes after the verb er (is), it just describes the noun normally. Since hat is an en word, grøn stays in its basic dictionary form.
What would happen to the word grøn if we were talking about an et word, like hus (house)?