Questions & Answers about Russisk er et svært sprog at lære.
Why does the adjective svær have a -t added to it?
In Danish, adjectives must agree with the gender of the noun they describe. Because sprog (language) is an et-word (et sprog), the adjective svær (difficult) gets a -t ending to match, becoming svært.
Would russisk be capitalized if it were in the middle of a sentence?
No. Unlike English, Danish does not capitalize the names of languages or nationalities. It is only capitalized here because it is the very first word of the sentence. If it were in the middle, it would be lowercase: Han synes, russisk er svært (He thinks Russian is difficult).
Is the grammar for "a difficult language to learn" exactly the same as in English?
Yes, this sentence maps perfectly to English! You use the adjective (svært), the noun (sprog), the infinitive marker (at), and the verb (lære). Not all Danish phrasing translates this cleanly, but you can rely on the direct English word order for this specific structure.
Does the word svær always mean "difficult"?
While its most common meaning is "difficult" or "hard" (the opposite of let, meaning easy), svær can also mean "heavy," "stout," or "massive." For example, you might see it in older texts or specific phrases like et svært våben (a heavy weapon). However, for everyday physical weight, you will usually use the word tung instead.