Glasset smutter ud af min hånd, hvis det er vådt.

The glass slips out of my hand if it is wet.

Breakdown of Glasset smutter ud af min hånd, hvis det er vådt.

• være: to be
• glasset: the glass
• af: of
• min: my

Questions & Answers about Glasset smutter ud af min hånd, hvis det er vådt.

Why is it glasset and not et glas?

Because glasset is the definite form of et glas.

• et glas = a glass
• glasset = the glass

In Danish, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun as a suffix:

• en bil → bilen
• et hus → huset
• et glas → glasset

So here the speaker is talking about a specific glass: the glass.

What does smutter mean here?

Smutter is the present tense of smutte.

In this sentence, it means something like:

• slips
• slips out
• accidentally gets away

So Glasset smutter ud af min hånd means the glass slips out of the speaker’s hand.

It sounds a bit more like an accidental, sudden movement than a simple neutral verb like falder (falls).

Why does Danish use ud af here?