Forsinkelsen skyldes den tætte trafik i morges.

The delay is due to the heavy traffic this morning.

Breakdown of Forsinkelsen skyldes den tætte trafik i morges.

• den: the
• i morges: this morning
• trafikken: the traffic
• tæt: heavy (traffic)

Questions & Answers about Forsinkelsen skyldes den tætte trafik i morges.

Why does forsinkelsen end in -en?

Because forsinkelsen is the definite singular form of forsinkelse, meaning delay.

• en forsinkelse = a delay
• forsinkelsen = the delay

In Danish, the idea of the is often added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word.

What does skyldes mean here?

Here, skyldes means is due to, is caused by, or results from.

The basic verb is skylde, which often means to owe, but in this structure:

• X skyldes Y = X is due to Y

So:

• Forsinkelsen skyldes den tætte trafik
  = The delay is due to the heavy traffic

Why does skyldes end in -s?

The -s is a very common Danish passive ending.

So skyldes is basically a passive form of skylde. Literally, it is something like is owed to or is attributable to, but in natural English it is usually just is due to or is caused by.

This is a very normal and common way to express cause in Danish.

Why is it den and not det?