Indkøbet var billigt i supermarkedet.

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Breakdown of Indkøbet var billigt i supermarkedet.

• være: to be
• billig: cheap
• supermarkedet: the supermarket

Questions & Answers about Indkøbet var billigt i supermarkedet.

What exactly does indkøbet mean here?

Indkøbet is the definite form of indkøb (a neuter noun).

• indkøb = shopping / (a) purchase / groceries
• indkøbet = the shopping / the purchase / the groceries

So in this sentence, Indkøbet var billigt i supermarkedet can be understood as:

• “The shopping was cheap in the supermarket”
  or
• “The purchase was cheap in the supermarket.”

Why does indkøbet end in -et?

In Danish, the definite article (“the”) is usually added as an ending on the noun, not as a separate word:

• Common gender nouns (n-words): en bil → bilen (“a car → the car”)
• Neuter nouns (t-words): et indkøb → indkøbet (“a purchase/shopping → the purchase/shopping”)

Because indkøb is a neuter noun (et indkøb), the definite form is made by adding -et: indkøbet = “the shopping / the purchase.”

Why is it billigt and not billig?