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Questions & Answers about Kaffen er gratis.
Why is the word written as kaffen instead of just kaffe?
Kaffen translates to the coffee. In Danish, the definite article (the equivalent of the English word the) is attached to the end of the noun. Because kaffe is an en-word, we just add -n to the end to make it specific.
If I want to say I am free on the weekend, can I also use gratis?
No, you cannot. Gratis specifically means free of charge. If you want to talk about having free time or personal freedom, you must use the word fri. Since we are talking about the price of the beverage here, gratis is the correct choice.
Would the word gratis change its ending if we were describing a plural noun or an et-word?
No, it would not. Gratis is a special adjective in Danish because it never changes its spelling. Whether you are describing an en-word like kaffen, an et-word like huset (the house), or multiple items, it will always stay exactly as gratis.