Tæppet er blødt på gulvet.

to be

Breakdown of Tæppet er blødt på gulvet.

• på: on
• gulvet: the floor
• blødt: soft
• tæppet: the blanket

Questions & Answers about Tæppet er blødt på gulvet.

Why is the adjective blødt ending with a t in this sentence?

In Danish, adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Because tæppet (the carpet) is a neuter noun (et tæppe), the adjective blød takes the neuter form blødt.

Why do we say tæppet instead of just tæppe here?

Tæppet is the definite form of the noun. We use the definite form when referring to a specific carpet. If you were talking about a carpet in general, you would say et tæppe.

What is the function of er in this sentence?

Er is simply the Danish verb for "is" (the present tense of "to be"). It connects the subject tæppet with the description blødt.

Why is gulvet also in the definite form here?

The phrase på gulvet literally means "on the floor." In Danish, when referring to something already known or the only one floor in context, we use the definite form gulvet ("the floor") rather than an indefinite form like et gulv.

Could we say "Det bløde tæppe er på gulvet" instead?

Yes, that would also be correct but would emphasize that the carpet itself is soft. The original sentence Tæppet er blødt på gulvet focuses more on the current state or feel of the carpet as it lies on the floor. The meaning remains very similar, though.