Breakdown of Kommunen har bygget en ældrevenlig bygning med en stor rampe.
en
a / an (common)
have
to have
stor
big
bygge
to build
med
with; by (bus, train) / of, to (the meaning or point of something)
bygningen
the building
kommunen
the municipality
ældrevenlig
senior-friendly
rampen
the ramp
Questions & Answers about Kommunen har bygget en ældrevenlig bygning med en stor rampe.
How is the compound ældrevenlig formed here?
It uses the productive suffix -venlig (friendly) attached to a noun base to mean "suitable for" or "accommodating to". Here, the base is ældre (seniors), so it means "senior-friendly". This follows the exact same pattern as miljøvenlig (eco-friendly) or brugervenlig (user-friendly).
Does the compound adjective ældrevenlig change its ending depending on the noun it describes?
Yes, these compounds behave like any standard adjective. Because bygning is a common gender (en) word, it is en ældrevenlig bygning. If you were describing a neuter (et) word like hus, you would add a -t: et ældrevenligt hus. For the plural, you would add an -e: ældrevenlige bygninger.
Is ældre functioning as a noun or an adjective in this compound?
It functions as the noun base. While ældre is technically the comparative adjective form of gammel (old), Danish frequently uses it as a noun to refer to "seniors" or "the elderly" (as in the phrase de ældre).
Could I just say the building is venlig over for ældre instead of using the compound?
No, that would sound quite unnatural. The compound suffix -venlig is specifically used for inanimate objects, systems, or environments designed to be accommodating. Saying someone or something is venlig over for ældre implies a living being actively displaying a kind personality toward seniors.
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