Det er smukt i natten.

It is beautiful in the night.

Breakdown of Det er smukt i natten.

• i: in
• være: to be
• natten: the night
• smuk: beautiful
• det: it

Questions & Answers about Det er smukt i natten.

Why is Det used instead of Den or De in this sentence?

In Danish, Det is the neuter (t-words) pronoun meaning it, and since the sentence does not refer to a specific gendered noun, Det is the correct choice. Den is used with common gender words (n-words), while De is the plural form.

I see that smukt ends with a 't'. Why is that?

The adjective smuk (meaning beautiful) appears in its neuter form smukt here, agreeing with the neuter pronoun det. Danish adjectives change their endings based on the gender and number of the noun or pronoun they describe. For neuter singular, you add a 't' (smuk → smukt).

Is it more common to say i natten or om natten in Danish?

They can both be used, but they carry slightly different nuances. Om natten is more common in everyday speech to express something that happens during the night in general: Det er smukt om natten ("It's beautiful at night"). I natten can be more poetic, emphasizing being within or surrounded by the night, as in a more literary or descriptive way.

Could I just say Det er smukt om natten instead?

Yes, absolutely! Det er smukt om natten is more typical in everyday Danish. However, Det er smukt i natten might come across as having a more poetic or stylistic tone. Both forms are correct, just used in slightly different contexts.