Den rå bøf ligger på grillristen.

Because bøf is a common-gender noun in Danish: en bøf.

• Common gender takes den in definite phrases.
• Neuter gender would take det.

So:

• en bøf = a steak
• den rå bøf = the raw steak

If the noun were neuter, you would use det instead.

In Danish, when a noun is definite and has an adjective before it, you normally use this pattern:

den/det/de + adjective + noun

So:

• bøffen = the steak
• den rå bøf = the raw steak

You do not normally say rå bøffen in standard Danish.

A useful contrast:

• bøffen = the steak
• den rå bøf = the raw steak
• den store bil = the big car

So the definite meaning is shown by den, while the noun itself stays in its basic singular form: bøf, not bøffen.

Because rå is one of the adjectives that often stays unchanged in this form.

Many Danish adjectives add -e in definite phrases, for example:

• den røde bil = the red car

But adjectives ending in a stressed vowel, such as rå and blå, often do not add -e:

• den rå bøf
• den blå bil

You should still learn its other form:

• et råt æg = a raw egg

So rå changes to råt in neuter singular, but here it stays rå.

Because Danish very often forms compound nouns as a single word.

Here:

• grill = grill
• rist = grate / rack
• grillrist = grill grate
• grillristen = the grill grate

This is very common in Danish. English often writes these as two words, but Danish usually joins them into one.

The -en is the definite ending for a common-gender noun.

So:

• en grillrist = a grill grate
• grillristen = the grill grate

Danish often marks definiteness by adding the article to the end of the noun instead of putting the before it.

That is one of the biggest differences from English.

Because the two noun phrases are built differently.

In den rå bøf, the noun has an adjective before it, so Danish uses a separate definite word:

• den rå bøf

In grillristen, there is no adjective before the noun, so Danish uses the attached definite ending:

• grillristen

So compare:

• bøffen = the steak
• den rå bøf = the raw steak

Both are definite, but the grammar changes when an adjective is added.

Danish often prefers position verbs where English would simply use is.

Ligge literally means to lie, and it is used for things that are lying down or resting horizontally, or more generally for where something is located in that position.

So:

• Den rå bøf ligger på grillristen = The raw steak is lying on the grill grate / is on the grill grate

Using er would be less natural here. Since a steak is something lying flat on a surface, ligger is the normal choice.

På means on here.

So:

• på grillristen = on the grill grate

It shows physical location on a surface. This is very similar to English in this sentence.

Bøf is roughly pronounced like buff but with the vowel said farther forward in the mouth and with rounded lips.

For ø:

• Shape your mouth somewhat as if saying oo
• But try to say an e/uh-type sound at the same time

It is not an exact English sound, so approximation is normal at first.

A rough learner-friendly guide:

• bøf ≈ something like buf with rounded lips

Also remember that Danish pronunciation is often softer than spelling suggests.

No. Rå can mean several related things depending on context, including:

• raw / uncooked for food
• raw / unprocessed for materials
• harsh / rough / crude in other contexts

In this sentence, it clearly means uncooked or raw:

• den rå bøf = the raw steak

So the exact meaning depends on context.

Yes. This is a very normal main-clause pattern:

Subject + verb + place phrase

• Den rå bøf = subject
• ligger = verb
• på grillristen = place phrase

So the sentence structure is straightforward and quite close to English here:

• The raw steak is on the grill grate

Danish word order becomes more different from English in other sentence types, but this sentence is very standard.