Breakdown of Den gamle bro af sten er meget holdbar.
være
to be
den
the (common, before adjective)
gammel
old
af
of
Questions & Answers about Den gamle bro af sten er meget holdbar.
How is the adjective holdbar formed in this sentence?
It is created by combining the root of the verb at holde (to hold, to last) with the suffix -bar. Just like the English suffix -able, -bar means capable of. Therefore, something that is holdbar is capable of lasting, which translates nicely to durable.
Does the suffix -bar change if the noun is neuter or plural?
Yes, adjectives ending in -bar follow normal agreement rules. If this sentence were about a neuter noun like et hus (a house), it would get a -t ending: et meget holdbart hus. If it were plural, it would take an -e, as in meget holdbare broer.
Why do we use gamle here instead of gammel?
Because the noun phrase is definite (The old bridge). When you use a free-standing definite article like Den, the adjective must take its definite form, which usually ends in -e. The word gammel is slightly irregular: it drops the middle -e- and adds the ending to become gamle.
Could I just say stenbro instead of bro af sten?
Yes, absolutely! Compound nouns like stenbro (stone bridge) are very common in Danish. However, using the preposition af to say bro af sten (bridge of stone) is another completely natural and common way to describe what a physical object is made of.