Lyset skinner på bordet.

The light shines on the table.

Breakdown of Lyset skinner på bordet.

• bordet: the table
• skinne: to shine
• lyset: the light
• på: for

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?

Lys is a neuter noun.

• Indefinite singular: et lys = a light
• Definite singular: lyset = the light

You just have to memorize that lys is neuter (takes et, not en).

Why is it bordet and not bord or et bord?

Bordet means the table, while:

• et bord = a table (indefinite)
• bord by itself is the bare stem, used in some compound forms or specific structures.

In på bordet, Danish normally uses the definite form when you refer to a specific, identifiable table – just like English uses the table here.

So:

• Lyset skinner på bordet. = The light is shining on the table (that we both know about).
  If you said på et bord, it would sound more like on a table (some random table).

What does på mean here, and could I use i instead?

Here på means on (on top of a surface).

• på bordet = on the table

You would not use i here, because i usually means in or inside:

• i bordet would literally mean in the table (inside the table), which is wrong for normal “on the surface” meaning.

So for “on the table” you need på bordet, not i bordet.

What tense is skinner? Does it mean shines or is shining?

Skinner is the present tense of at skinne (to shine).

Danish present tense usually covers both:

• English simple present: The light *shines on the table.*
• English present progressive: The light *is shining on the table.*

So Lyset skinner på bordet. can be translated as either, depending on context. Danish does not normally distinguish between shines and is shining with different verb forms.

Is the word order fixed? Can I also say På bordet skinner lyset?

Yes, you can also say På bordet skinner lyset, and it is correct.

• Neutral, most common order: Lyset skinner på bordet.

  • Subject (Lyset) – verb (skinner) – adverbial (på bordet).

• With emphasis on location: På bordet skinner lyset.

  • Adverbial (På bordet) – verb (skinner) – subject (lyset).

Both follow the Danish V2 rule for main clauses: the finite verb (skinner) must be in second position, no matter what comes first.

Can I leave out på bordet and just say Lyset skinner?

Yes.

• Lyset skinner. = The light is shining.

This is a fully correct sentence; it just doesn’t say where the light is shining.
Adding på bordet specifies the location:

• Lyset skinner på bordet. = The light is shining on the table.

How do you pronounce Lyset skinner på bordet?

Approximate pronunciation (using English-like hints):

• Lyset ≈ LY-seh

  • y is a front rounded vowel, between English ee and u (like French u).
  • The t is often very weak or almost not heard in normal speech.

• skinner ≈ SKIN-ner

  • sk before i is like English sk.
  • e in the last syllable is a weak, schwa-like sound.

• på ≈ po

  • Like po in Poland, but with a clear, long o and a small “tail” of å quality.

• bordet ≈ BOR-theth

  • bor roughly like English bore.
  • d in -det is a soft ð-like sound (similar to the th in this, but weaker), and the final e is again a weak, schwa-like vowel.

Said naturally, the whole sentence flows as something like:
LY-seh SKIN-ner po BOR-ðeth (with Danish vowel qualities and soft consonants).

Is lys usually used as a mass noun like light, or as a countable noun like a light / a lamp?

It can be both, depending on context:

1. Mass noun (general light):

   • Der er meget lys i rummet. = There is a lot of light in the room.
   • Lyset skinner på bordet. = The light is shining on the table.

2. Countable (a light / a candle / a lamp):

   • et lys = a light / a candle
   • tænd et lys = light a candle

So in your sentence, lyset is used more like general the light in English, not necessarily “the lamp as an object”.