Questions & Answers about Det andet tog er forsinket.
What exactly does andet mean here? Is it “second” or “other”?
Andet can mean both “second” and “other”, depending on context.
- In a sequence (train 1, train 2, train 3…), det andet tog = “the second train”.
- If there are only two trains, and you’re talking about “the other one (not the first)”, det andet tog = “the other train”.
So andet is the neuter form of “second / other”, and the precise English translation (“second” vs “other”) depends on what has been said before.
Why is it andet and not anden?
Danish adjectives agree with the gender of the noun.
- tog is a neuter noun: et tog (a train).
- For neuter singular nouns, the adjective form is -t:
- en stor bil → et stort tog
- en anden bil → et andet tog
So:
- anden = “second/other” with common gender nouns (en-words)
- en anden bus (another bus)
- andet = “second/other” with neuter nouns (et-words)
- et andet tog (another train)
Because tog is neuter (et tog), you must say andet.