Stuen er ryddelig.

The living room is tidy.

Breakdown of Stuen er ryddelig.

• være: to be
• stuen: the living room
• ryddelig: tidy

Questions & Answers about Stuen er ryddelig.

What does the word stuen mean in this sentence, and why is it spelled the way it is?

Stuen means "the living room" in English. In Danish, nouns in the definite form are created by adding a suffix—in this case, -en—to the base noun (stue). This suffix serves as the definite article, much like using "the" in English.

What is the role of er in the sentence?

Er is the present tense form of the verb at være (to be) in Danish, and it functions just like the English word "is". It serves as a linking verb that connects the subject (stuen) with the predicate adjective (ryddelig).

What does ryddelig mean, and how is it used here?

Ryddelig translates to "tidy" in English. In the sentence, it is used as a predicate adjective to describe the state of the living room. Because it follows the linking verb er, it stays in its base, uninflected form.

Does the word order in Stuen er ryddelig follow the same structure as in English?

Yes, the sentence follows a similar Subject-Linking Verb-Predicate Adjective order as the English sentence "The living room is tidy." This familiar structure makes it easier for English speakers to understand the sentence.

Why doesn’t the adjective ryddelig have any additional endings in this sentence?

In Danish, adjectives used in the predicate (after a linking verb like er) are typically not inflected. The extra endings are usually applied when adjectives are used attributively (directly before a noun) to reflect the noun’s gender and number. Here, since ryddelig is used as a predicate adjective, it remains in its basic form.