Breakdown of Findes de blå fugle i skoven?
i
in
skoven
the forest
fuglen
the bird
blå
blue
de
the (plural, before adjective)
findes
to exist
Questions & Answers about Findes de blå fugle i skoven?
Why does the verb findes end with an -s?
This is an -s verb (or deponent verb). It looks like a passive verb because of the -s ending, but it functions with its own active meaning. While at finde means 'to find', at findes means 'to exist' or 'to be found'. In this sentence, it asks if the blue birds exist in the forest.
Why does the sentence start with the verb Findes?
In Danish, yes/no questions are formed by putting the verb in the very first position. Since there is no question word like 'who' or 'where', the verb Findes takes the lead to ask the question.
Why do we use de blå fugle instead of adding the definite ending to the noun like fuglene?
Because there is an adjective (blå) describing the noun. In Danish, when you have a definite noun ('the birds') plus an adjective, you use a special structure. You use the free-standing definite plural article de, followed by the adjective, and then the plural noun without a definite ending attached to it (fugle).
Why doesn't the adjective blå get an -e ending here?
Normally, Danish adjectives add an -e in plural and definite forms. However, short adjectives that end in a stressed vowel, like blå (blue) and grå (gray), are exceptions and usually do not change.
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