Ukrudtet vokser hurtigt mellem planterne.

Because Danish usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun.

• ukrudt = weed / weeds, weed as a substance or mass noun
• ukrudtet = the weed / the weeds / the weed growth

ukrudt is a neuter noun (et noun), so the definite singular ending is -et:

• et ukrudt
• ukrudtet

This is one of the most important patterns in Danish:

• en plante → planten
• et hus → huset

So ukrudtet means the weed(s).

Planterne is the definite plural form, meaning the plants.

Here is the pattern:

• en plante = a plant
• planter = plants
• planterne = the plants

So in the sentence, mellem planterne means between the plants.

If you said mellem planter, it would sound more like between plants in a more general or less specific sense.

Vokser is the present tense of vokse, which means to grow.

Danish present tense is often formed with -r:

• at vokse = to grow
• vokser = grow / grows / is growing, depending on context

Unlike English, Danish verbs do not change for different persons:

• jeg vokser
• du vokser
• den/det vokser
• vi vokser

So ukrudtet vokser simply means the weeds grow / are growing.

Because hurtigt is being used adverbially, meaning quickly.

• hurtig = quick, fast
• hurtigt = quickly / fast

In Danish, many adverbs are formed from adjectives by adding -t:

• langsom → langsomt
• hurtig → hurtigt

So:

• en hurtig plante = a fast-growing / quick plant
• vokser hurtigt = grows quickly

Here hurtigt describes the verb vokser, not the noun.

It can correspond to both in English.

In this sentence, hurtigt means something like:

• quickly
• fast
• rapidly

English often allows both grow quickly and grow fast, and Danish vokser hurtigt covers that same idea.

Mellem usually means between.

So:

• mellem planterne = between the plants

In many contexts, mellem is used the same way as English between. It refers to something located in the space separating two or more things.

Sometimes, yes, depending on context.

In English, between is often used for two things, while among is more common for a group. Danish mellem can often cover both ideas.

So mellem planterne could sound natural even if there are many plants. Danish does not need a separate word in exactly the same way English does.

Because this is the normal word order in a simple main clause:

• subject + verb + adverbial

So:

• Ukrudtet = subject
• vokser = verb
• hurtigt = adverb
• mellem planterne = prepositional phrase

This gives the normal order: Ukrudtet vokser hurtigt mellem planterne.

You can move elements around for emphasis, but then Danish follows its verb-second rule. For example:

• Mellem planterne vokser ukrudtet hurtigt.
• Hurtigt vokser ukrudtet mellem planterne.
  This is possible, but less neutral and more stylistic.

It can often mean both, depending on context.

Danish simple present is broader than English simple present. Vokser can mean:

• grows
• is growing

So the sentence could describe:

• a general fact: weeds grow quickly between the plants
• something happening now: the weeds are growing quickly between the plants

Context tells you which interpretation is intended.

Grammatically, ukrudtet is singular definite, but the meaning is often collective.

That means Danish ukrudt often behaves like a mass noun, similar to English words like grass or vegetation. Even though English often says weeds, Danish can use singular ukrudt to refer to weed growth in general.

So ukrudtet does not necessarily mean one single weed. It can mean the weed growth as a whole.

Usually, ukrudt is most naturally used as a mass noun, so ukrudtet is the normal choice.

A plural form like ukrudter/ukrudtene is much less common and would usually only be used in special contexts, for example when talking about different kinds of weeds in a more technical or scientific way.

For everyday Danish, ukrudtet is the natural form here.

Plante is a common gender noun, often called an en-word.

Its forms are:

• en plante = a plant
• planten = the plant
• planter = plants
• planterne = the plants

This is why the sentence uses planterne and not something like plantetet or plantet.

A rough learner-friendly guide is something like HUR-ti or HUR-di, depending on accent and speed.

Important points:

• The g is not pronounced like a strong English g.
• The final -t is often weak or barely heard in natural speech.
• In everyday pronunciation, hurtigt is often more reduced than the spelling suggests.

If you pronounce it carefully as something close to HUR-tigt, Danes will understand you, but natural speech is usually softer.

A rough guide is something like oo-KROOTH-det or oo-KROO-ded, depending on accent.

A few things to notice:

• The stress is on the second syllable: u-KRUD-tet
• The d in Danish is often softer than English d
• The final -et in definite neuter nouns is often pronounced quite lightly

You do not need a perfect pronunciation right away; the important thing is to recognize that -et is the definite ending.

Yes, absolutely.

That version is also correct. Danish allows different word orders as long as the verb stays in second position in a main clause.

Compare:

• Ukrudtet vokser hurtigt mellem planterne.
  Neutral: focus starts with the weeds

• Mellem planterne vokser ukrudtet hurtigt.
  More emphasis on between the plants

So the original sentence is the most straightforward neutral version, but other orders are possible.

Usually not. In Danish, the definite article is normally attached to the noun as an ending.

So instead of saying:

• the weed
• the plants

Danish usually says:

• ukrudtet
• planterne

This is one of the biggest structural differences from English. The the idea is built into the noun itself.