Planen er god, og jeg følger den.

The plan is good, and I follow it.

Breakdown of Planen er god, og jeg følger den.

• jeg: I
• og: and
• være: to be
• den: it
• god: good
• planen: the plan
• følge: to follow

Questions & Answers about Planen er god, og jeg følger den.

What does the word Planen mean, and why is it spelled with -en at the end?

Planen translates to the plan. In Danish, nouns often indicate definiteness by adding a suffix rather than using a separate word for “the.” Here, the indefinite noun plan (which with an article would be en plan meaning “a plan”) becomes planen in its definite form.

What does the verb er signify in this sentence?

The verb er is the present tense form of at være (to be), and it translates directly to is. It links the subject Planen to the adjective god.

How is the adjective god used, and what does it mean?

God means good. In the sentence, it acts as a predicate adjective that describes Planen (the plan) after the linking verb er.

What role does the conjunction og play in this sentence?

Og means and. It is used to connect two independent clauses: Planen er god and jeg følger den. This is comparable to how and connects clauses in English.

Why is the pronoun den used at the end of the sentence, and what does it refer to?

Den is a demonstrative pronoun that stands in for Planen to avoid repetition. Since planen is a common gender noun in Danish, the appropriate pronoun to refer back to it is den (as opposed to det, which is used for neuter nouns).

How does the structure of this Danish sentence compare to an English sentence with a similar meaning?

The Danish sentence follows a structure very similar to English. Planen er god is structured like The plan is good, and jeg følger den mirrors I follow it. The main difference is that Danish expresses definiteness by appending a suffix to the noun (turning plan into planen) instead of using a separate article.

Why is there a comma before og, and is its use required in Danish punctuation?

The comma before og separates the two independent clauses in the sentence. While many Danish writers include a comma in this situation for clarity, its usage can be optional depending on the punctuation style chosen. This is somewhat similar to English, where a comma before and in compound sentences is sometimes used based on stylistic preference.