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Questions & Answers about Citronen er gul og sur.
Why does the word for lemon end in -en instead of using a separate word for the?
In Danish, the definite article (the word for the) is attached to the end of the noun as a suffix. Since citron is a common gender noun (an en word), you add -en to the end to make citronen (the lemon).
Why are the adjectives gul and sur in their base forms here?
Adjectives in Danish change depending on the gender and number of the noun they describe. Because citronen is a singular, common gender noun, the adjectives gul (yellow) and sur (sour) stay in their base, uninflected forms. If we were describing a neuter noun (an et word), they would add a -t to become gult and surt.
Does sur always mean sour?
When describing food or drinks, sur means sour. However, it is a very common word to use about people too! If you say a person is sur, it means they are angry, grumpy, or sulking.
How is the letter c in citronen pronounced?
The letter c is relatively rare in native Danish words. Because citron comes from another language, the c is pronounced like an English s. You should also put the stress on the second syllable, making it sound roughly like see-TRON-en.