Breakdown of Det er tredive grader i skyggen.
være
to be
det
it (neuter)
i
in
tredive
thirty
graden
the degree
skyggen
the shadow, the shade
Questions & Answers about Det er tredive grader i skyggen.
Why do we use Det as the subject instead of Den?
We use Det as a generic dummy subject for statements about the weather, time, or temperature, exactly like "it" in English. It does not matter that the noun in the sentence, en grad, is an en-word.
Does skyggen translate to "shade" or "shadow" here?
It translates to "the shade" in this sentence, but the Danish root word en skygge means both "shade" and "shadow". You must rely entirely on the context to know which one is meant.
Why do we use the preposition i instead of på before skyggen?
Just like in English, you are considered to be inside the shaded area, so Danish uses i (in) to make the phrase i skyggen. Using på would sound like you are physically standing on top of a specific shadow.
If I wanted to specify Celsius, where would that word go in the sentence?
You would place it right after grader, making it Det er tredive grader Celsius i skyggen. However, since Denmark uses the metric system, Celsius is automatically assumed and almost never spoken.
Learn Det er tredive grader i skyggen 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