Questions & Answers about Lyset skinner på bordet.
What does Lyset literally mean, and what is the base form of the noun?
Lyset means the light.
- The base form (indefinite form) is lys = light.
- Adding -et makes it definite for a neuter noun: lys → lyset = the light.
Why does Lyset end in -et? Is that the article?
Yes. In Danish, the definite article is usually a suffix at the end of the noun.
- For neuter nouns (n-words that take et), the definite ending is -et:
- et lys → lyset (a light → the light)
- For common gender nouns (n-words that take en), the definite ending is -en:
- en bog → bogen (a book → the book)
So -et in lyset is the equivalent of English the.
What gender is lys, and how would I say a light in Danish?