Hunden ser svag ud.

Hund means dog in the indefinite form, while hunden means the dog in the definite form.

Danish usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun:

• en hund = a dog
• hunden = the dog

So -en here is the built-in word for the.

Because in Danish, the definite article is often attached to the noun instead of appearing as a separate word.

So English:

• the dog

becomes Danish:

• hunden

This is very common in Danish with singular common-gender nouns.

The finite verb is ser, which is the present tense of at se.

Here it comes from the expression at se ... ud, which means to look / to appear.

So in this sentence:

• ser = looks
• ser ... ud = looks / appears

In Danish, se ud is the normal expression for describing how someone or something appears.

So:

• Hunden ser svag ud = The dog looks weak

If you leave out ud, the sentence may sound incomplete or may shift toward the literal meaning of see rather than look/appear.

A useful way to learn it is to treat se ud as a set expression:

• at se træt ud = to look tired
• at se glad ud = to look happy
• at se syg ud = to look ill

Because se ud behaves like a verb-plus-particle expression, and in a main clause the particle often comes later in the sentence.

So the structure is:

• Hunden = subject
• ser = finite verb
• svag = adjective
• ud = particle

This word order is normal in Danish:

• Hun ser træt ud
• Det ser godt ud
• Hunden ser svag ud

Because svag agrees with the noun it refers to.

Hund is a common-gender noun, so the adjective in this kind of predicate use stays in its basic form:

• en hund er svag
• hunden ser svag ud

You often get -t with neuter nouns:

• et barn ser svagt ud

And in plural or definite plural contexts, adjectives often take -e:

• hundene ser svage ud

So here svag is correct because hunden is singular common gender.

Not necessarily. Svag can mean:

• physically weak
• frail
• low in strength or intensity
• weak in a more general sense

In Hunden ser svag ud, the most natural interpretation is that the dog seems physically weak, ill, tired, or lacking energy.

So the exact nuance depends on context.

Yes. Den ser svag ud means It looks weak, and it can refer back to the dog if the dog has already been mentioned.

Difference:

• Hunden ser svag ud = The dog looks weak
  
  • names the dog directly
• Den ser svag ud = It looks weak
  
  • refers back to something already known from context

So both are correct, but they are used in different discourse situations.

Ser is the present tense.

Some related forms are:

• at se = to see / to look
• ser = looks / sees
• så = looked / saw
• har set = has looked / has seen

With se ud, you can say for example:

• Hunden ser svag ud = present
• Hunden så svag ud = past
• Hunden har set svag ud = has looked weak

Yes. In a yes/no question, Danish normally puts the verb before the subject:

• Ser hunden svag ud? = Does the dog look weak?

That is very typical Danish word order in questions.

Compare:

• statement: Hunden ser svag ud.
• question: Ser hunden svag ud?

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• Hunden ≈ HOON-dən
• ser ≈ sehr
• svag ≈ svay / sveh depending on accent and how broad the guide is
• ud ≈ ooð or oo

A few important notes:

• Danish pronunciation is often much less phonetic than spelling suggests.
• The d in ud is usually very soft.
• ser does not sound like English seer.

If you want, a very rough full-sentence guide is:

• HOON-dən sehr svay oo

But that is only approximate; real Danish pronunciation is smoother and less clearly separated.

Yes, that is possible, but it is slightly different in tone.

• Hunden ser svag ud = the dog looks weak, based on appearance
• Hunden virker svag = the dog seems weak, possibly a slightly broader judgment

So ser ... ud is more visual, while virker can feel a bit more interpretive.

Both are natural, but ser svag ud is especially direct when talking about appearance.