Tilløbsbanen er tør.

Because Danish, like English, often builds compound nouns, and Danish usually writes them as one word.

Here, tilløbsbanen is made from:

• tilløb = run-up / approach
• bane = lane / track / runway
• -en = the definite ending

So:

• tilløbsbane = approach track / runway
• tilløbsbanen = the approach track / runway

The s in the middle is a common linking s in Danish compounds.

The -en ending means the.

In Danish, instead of usually putting a separate word in front of the noun, the definite article is often added to the end of the noun.

For example:

• en bane = a track / a lane
• banen = the track / the lane

So:

• en tilløbsbane = an approach track
• tilløbsbanen = the approach track

This is very common in Danish.

Because Danish normally expresses definiteness by adding it as a suffix to the noun.

So where English says:

• the track

Danish often says:

• banen

with the idea of the built into the noun itself.

A separate definite word can appear in other structures, especially when there is an adjective before the noun, for example:

• den tørre tilløbsbane = the dry approach track

But in your sentence, there is no adjective before the noun, so the simple suffixed form is used:

• tilløbsbanen

Here, tør is an adjective meaning dry.

It comes after er and describes the noun:

• Tilløbsbanen er tør.
• The runway is dry.

This is called a predicative adjective: it comes after a verb like er and tells you something about the subject.

Because Danish main clauses normally follow V2 word order, which means the finite verb usually comes in the second position.

In this sentence:

• Tilløbsbanen = subject
• er = verb
• tør = adjective

So the normal order is:

• Tilløbsbanen er tør.

This is similar to standard English word order in simple sentences:

• The runway is dry.

Yes. Danish adjectives change depending on gender/number in many contexts.

For tør:

• en tilløbsbane er tør = a runway is dry
  (common gender singular)
• et gulv er tørt = a floor is dry
  (neuter singular)
• banerne er tørre = the tracks are dry
  (plural)

So the main forms are:

• tør = common gender singular
• tørt = neuter singular
• tørre = plural / definite adjective use in many cases

Since tilløbsbane is a common gender noun, tør is the correct form here.

You know it from the indefinite article:

• en tilløbsbane = a runway

If a noun takes en, it is usually common gender.
If it takes et, it is neuter.

Because it is en tilløbsbane, the adjective in the singular predicative form is:

• tør

not:

• tørt

Yes, tør can also be related to the verb turde (to dare) in other contexts, but not here.

For example:

• Jeg tør ikke. = I don’t dare.

In your sentence, tør clearly means dry, because it follows er and describes tilløbsbanen.

So:

• Tilløbsbanen er tør. = The runway is dry.

The tricky part is the vowel ø, which does not exist in standard English.

A rough guide:

• tør sounds somewhat like tur or ter said with rounded lips, but neither is exact.

Tips:

• Start with a vowel somewhat like the vowel in French peu or German schön.
• Round your lips while making the sound.
• The r in Danish often affects the vowel, so the whole word may sound different from what an English speaker expects.

If you use IPA, it is commonly given approximately as [tɶɐ̯ˀ] or similar, depending on accent and transcription style.

A practical learner-friendly guide is:

• til-løbs-bay-nen — but with a real Danish ø, not an English vowel

A few points:

• til is short
• løbs has the rounded ø sound
• bane is roughly like bay-nuh
• -n at the end of -en is lightly pronounced

The stress is mainly at the start of the word, with a secondary stress later in the compound.

You do not need perfect pronunciation immediately; the most important thing is recognizing that it is one compound noun.

Because tør is used predicatively, not attributively.

Compare:

1. Predicative adjective

   • Tilløbsbanen er tør.
   • The adjective comes after er.
   • Here you use the normal predicative form: tør.

2. Attributive adjective

   • den tørre tilløbsbane
   • the dry runway
   • Here the adjective comes before the noun, and it usually takes the -e form: tørre.

So even though tilløbsbanen is definite, tør stays tør because it is after er.

It is grammatically completely normal, but the noun tilløbsbanen is somewhat context-specific.

You are most likely to hear it in contexts such as:

• athletics / jumping events
• sports facilities
• places where someone needs a run-up or approach lane

The structure, however, is extremely common and useful:

• Noun + er + adjective

For example:

• Vejen er våd. = The road is wet.
• Gulvet er glat. = The floor is slippery.
• Banen er tør. = The track is dry.

So even if the noun is specialized, the grammar is very everyday Danish.

Yes, depending on context.

Possible alternatives might include:

• Banen er tør. = The track is dry.
• Tilløbsbanen er helt tør. = The runway is completely dry.
• Der er tørt på tilløbsbanen. = It is dry on the runway.

These versions change the focus slightly, but your original sentence is perfectly natural and straightforward.

The pattern is:

• [subject] + er + [adjective]

So:

• Tilløbsbanen = subject
• er = is
• tør = dry

This is one of the most useful basic Danish patterns to learn.

Other examples:

• Maden er varm. = The food is warm.
• Vandet er koldt. = The water is cold.
• Døren er åben. = The door is open.

Your sentence follows this pattern exactly.