Breakdown of Det er op til den enkelte.
være
to be
det
it (neuter)
til
to (preposition) / for (purpose) / at (an event or occasion) / at (good at something)
op
up
Questions & Answers about Det er op til den enkelte.
Does the phrase op til work exactly like the English idiom "up to"?
Yes, it does. Just like in English, at være op til is used to express that a decision or responsibility rests with a specific person.
Why is enkelte used here to mean "individual" when enkelt usually means "simple" or "single"?
In Danish, enkelt is often used to single out a specific unit from a group. When used as a personified noun with the definite article, den enkelte is the standard and most natural way to say "the individual" or "each person" in contexts about choices, duties, or rights.
Why does enkelte end with an "-e" in this sentence?
It is an adjective acting as a noun. Because it comes right after the definite article den, it has to follow the rule for definite adjectives and take the -e ending.
Could I use the literal noun individet instead of den enkelte?
You could, but it would sound quite unnatural here. individet is generally reserved for scientific, biological, or highly philosophical contexts, whereas den enkelte is what Danes actually use in everyday speech to mean "the individual person".