Breakdown of Fuglen spiser det lille frø.
spise
to eat
fuglen
the bird
det
the (neuter, before adjective)
lille
small
frøet
the seed
Questions & Answers about Fuglen spiser det lille frø.
Why is there a separate "det" here when Danish usually puts "the" at the end of the noun like in "fuglen"?
When a noun is described by an adjective like lille, you cannot just attach the definite ending to the noun. Instead, you must use a standalone article (den or det) in front of the adjective. Because frø meaning seed is an et-word, we use det.
Why isn't there a -t at the end of "lille" to match the et-word?
Most adjectives add a -t when describing an et-word, but lille is a common exception. It never takes a -t ending, so it stays lille whether you are talking about an en-word or an et-word.
I have seen "frø" used to mean "frog". How do I know it means "seed" here?
Danish has two completely different words spelled frø. The word for seed is an et-word (et frø), while the word for frog is an en-word (en frø). Because the sentence uses det, we know it refers to the et-word, which means seed.
If the bird were eating multiple seeds, how would this sentence change?
The noun frø meaning seed does not change in the indefinite plural; it is still just frø. However, the article and the adjective change to match the plural. The sentence would become Fuglen spiser de små frø.
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