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Questions & Answers about Kaffen er for varm.
What does kaffen mean in this sentence?
Kaffen is the definite form of the noun kaffe (coffee). In Danish, instead of a separate definite article like “the,” the definite form is created by adding a suffix to the noun. So "kaffen" translates to "the coffee."
What is the function of the word er?
Er is the present tense form of the verb at være (to be). In this sentence, it functions as a linking verb and translates directly to "is" in English.
How is the word for used here, and what does it mean?
In this context, for is used as an intensifier meaning "too." It indicates that the coffee exceeds an acceptable or ideal degree of warmth—hence, "the coffee is too hot."
Why doesn’t the adjective varm change its form despite the noun being definite?
In Danish, when an adjective is used as a predicate after the linking verb (as in "er varm"), it remains uninflected regardless of the noun’s definiteness. The modification or inflection typically occurs when adjectives are used attributively before a noun, not in predicate positions.
How could this sentence be transformed into a question?
To form a question in Danish, you can invert the subject and the verb. So "Kaffen er for varm." becomes "Er kaffen for varm?", which translates to "Is the coffee too hot?" in English.