Questions & Answers about Den samme regel gælder også her.
Why does the sentence start with den samme?
Because regel is a common-gender noun in Danish, so the demonstrative/article form used here is den.
- en regel = a rule
- reglen = the rule
- den samme regel = the same rule
In Danish, den/det/de is often used before an adjective when the noun is definite in meaning:
- den samme regel = the same rule
- det store hus = the big house
- de nye bøger = the new books
So den samme regel is a normal definite noun phrase meaning the same rule.
Why is it den samme regel and not samme regel?
Both can exist, but they do not mean exactly the same thing in all contexts.
- samme regel can sometimes mean same rule in a more general or less explicitly definite way.
- den samme regel is the standard way to say the same rule when referring to a specific rule already known from the context.
In this sentence, Danish strongly prefers den samme regel because it refers to a specific rule that also applies here.
Why is it regel and not reglen?