Planten er stadig levende.

to be

Breakdown of Planten er stadig levende.

• stadig: still
• planten: the plant
• levende: alive

Questions & Answers about Planten er stadig levende.

Why is planten one word instead of something like den plante?

In Danish, the definite article is often added to the end of the noun.

• en plante = a plant
• planten = the plant

So planten is the normal definite form of plante.

You use a separate word like den when there is extra emphasis, contrast, or an adjective:

• den grønne plante = the green plant
• den plante = that plant / that particular plant

Why does it end in -en and not -et?

Because plante is a common-gender noun in Danish.

Danish has two grammatical genders:

• common gender: takes en in the indefinite form, often -en in the definite form
• neuter gender: takes et in the indefinite form, often -et in the definite form

So:

• en plante → planten

If it were a neuter noun, you would expect et / -et instead.

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