Breakdown of Pigen planter frøet i det nye bed.
pigen
the girl
i
in
ny
new
det
the (neuter, before adjective)
plante
to plant
frøet
the seed
bedet
the flowerbed
Questions & Answers about Pigen planter frøet i det nye bed.
Wait, doesn't frø mean frog? How do I know it means seed here?
Frø is a tricky homonym in Danish! The gender gives it away. A frog is a common gender word (en frø, definite frøen). A seed is a neuter word (et frø, definite frøet). Since the sentence uses frøet, it must mean the seed.
Why do we use det nye bed instead of det ny bed?
When you have a definite noun phrase using det, den, or a possessive, the adjective must take the definite -e ending. Even though bed is a neuter word, the adjective ny becomes nye to match the definite structure.
Is bed the same as the English word bed for sleeping?
They share the same origin, but in Danish, et bed only refers to a piece of ground for planting, like a flowerbed or garden bed. If you want to talk about a bed you sleep in, you must use the word en seng.
I noticed planter can also mean the plural noun plants. Is this just a coincidence?
It is the exact same root, just used as a verb here. The infinitive verb is at plante (to plant), making the present tense planter. The noun is en plante (a plant), making the plural planter. You will often see this overlap in Danish, but the word order makes it clear that it functions as the action in this sentence.
Learn Pigen planter frøet i det nye bed and more in Danish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free