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Questions & Answers about Solen er høj i dag.
What is the overall structure of the sentence Solen er høj i dag?
The sentence follows a straightforward Subject–Verb–Predicate structure. Solen is the subject, er is the linking verb meaning “is,” høj is the predicate adjective describing the subject, and i dag is an adverbial phrase indicating when the statement applies. This structure is quite similar to standard English sentences like “The sun is high today.”
How is the definite article expressed in the noun Solen?
In Danish, definite articles are often attached directly to the noun as a suffix. Here, sol (meaning “sun”) becomes solen by adding the suffix “-en” to indicate “the sun.” This is different from English, where the definite article is a separate word placed before the noun.
Why does the adjective høj not have an inflected ending in this sentence?
When adjectives are used predicatively—that is, after a linking verb like er—they remain in their base form. Even though adjectives used attributively (before a noun) may take an ending (for example, one might see den høje sol instead of solen in some contexts), in a sentence like Solen er høj i dag the adjective remains uninflected as høj.
What does the phrase i dag mean and how is it structured in the sentence?
The phrase i dag translates directly to “today.” The preposition i often works with words like dag (day) to form time expressions in Danish. In this sentence, i dag functions as an adverbial phrase, indicating when the sun is high—just like “today” in English.
Is the word order in Solen er høj i dag similar to that in an English sentence?
Yes, the word order is quite similar. Both Danish and English typically use a Subject–Verb–Adjective (or Predicate Adjective) order in simple descriptive statements. Here, Solen (subject) comes first, followed by er (verb), then høj (adjective), with i dag (time adverbial) placed at the end. This mirrors the English sentence “The sun is high today.”
Could the adjective form change if it were used in a different position in the sentence?
Absolutely. When an adjective is used attributively—that is, directly before the noun—it usually takes an ending to agree with the noun. For example, instead of saying “The sun is high today,” if you described it as “the high sun” in Danish, you would say den høje sol. In contrast, when the adjective follows the linking verb (as a predicate adjective), it stays in its basic form, hence høj in Solen er høj i dag.
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