Breakdown of Hvad er den berømteste bygning i hovedstaden?
være
to be
i
in
hvad
what
den
the (common, before adjective)
Questions & Answers about Hvad er den berømteste bygning i hovedstaden?
How does the grammar work in the phrase den berømteste bygning?
This follows the rule for definite adjectives. Because there is an adjective describing a specific noun, you must use the free definite article den (since bygning is an en-word). The noun itself stays in its basic form (bygning, not bygningen) and the adjective sits in the middle.
Why does the adjective end in -este instead of just -est?
The basic superlative form of berømt (famous) is berømtest (most famous). However, because this is a definite phrase (signaled by the free article den), the adjective must take the extra definite ending -e, making it berømteste.
Why does hovedstaden keep its attached -en ending while bygning loses its ending?
Nouns only lose their attached definite ending (-en or -et) when an adjective is placed directly in front of them. Since there is no adjective describing hovedstad in this sentence, it works like a normal definite noun and attaches the -en directly to the end.
Does hovedstaden literally translate to 'the head city'?
Exactly! It is a compound word made from hoved (head, or in this context, main) and stad (an older term for city). Add the definite suffix -en and you get 'the capital'.