Breakdown of Regeringen tabte valget.
tabe
to drop / to lose
regeringen
the government
valget
the election
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Questions & Answers about Regeringen tabte valget.
Why does this sentence use tabte instead of mistede for "lost"?
In Danish, at tabe means to lose a competition, a game, or an election. It can also mean to physically drop something. If you lose possession of a physical item (like your keys) or lose a loved one, you must use at miste instead.
Does valget always mean "the election"?
No, the noun et valg can mean either "an election" or "a choice". In this sentence, the context of regeringen (the government) makes it clear that it refers to a political election.
How can I tell the grammatical gender of the nouns in this sentence?
You can identify the genders by looking at the definite suffixes attached to the words. Regeringen ends in -en, telling us it is a common gender noun (en regering). Valget ends in -et, showing it is a neuter noun (et valg).
Is tabte an irregular verb?
No, it is a regular past tense verb. The infinitive is at tabe. It follows a standard pattern where you add -te to the stem to form the past tense, resulting in tabte.