Halen er sort og lang.

and

Breakdown of Halen er sort og lang.

• være: to be
• sort: black
• halen: the tail

Questions & Answers about Halen er sort og lang.

Why is the definite form halen used instead of hale?

In Danish, the definite form of a noun is formed by adding a suffix—en (common gender) or et (neuter)—rather than using a separate article like “the” in English. Hale (tail) becomes halen (the tail).

What does er mean in this context?

Er is simply the present tense of the Danish verb at være (“to be”). So Halen er sort og lang translates literally to “The tail is black and long.”

Why do the adjectives appear after the noun, and why aren’t they changed for a definite noun?

In Danish, adjectives usually come before a noun (e.g., en sort hale means “a black tail”). However, when you use “to be” (er), you describe the noun with adjectives after it. The phrase sort og lang doesn’t need a special definite adjective ending in this sentence because they come after the verb and simply describe the noun’s characteristics.

How do I know whether to say sort or sorte?