Breakdown of Hunden er lille, og katten er stor.
hunden
the dog
og
and
katten
the cat
stor
big
være
to be
lille
small
Questions & Answers about Hunden er lille, og katten er stor.
Why is the word Hunden used instead of just Hund?
In Danish, the definite article (or "the") is added as a suffix to the noun rather than as a separate word. So for hund (dog), the definite form becomes hunden (the dog).
Why is the adjective lille used here instead of lille for both animals?
Danish adjectives can change based on number and gender, but for a single (singular) common-gender noun like hund, the form is lille. The same goes for kat, which is also a singular common-gender noun, so "the cat is big" is katten er stor.
Why is the verb er used in both parts of the sentence?
Er is the present tense of at være (to be). It’s used similarly to how English uses "is." You simply repeat it for each subject: "The dog is small, and the cat is big."
Does Danish typically use og to connect two simple clauses like this?
Yes. Og means "and" in Danish and is used to connect words, phrases, or clauses, just like in English.
Why is the adjective stor used for the cat?
Stor is the singular common-gender form of the adjective meaning "big" or "large." Since kat is a common-gender noun, stor is the correct form for describing it.
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