Violinens lyd er ikke lige så høj som trommernes.

The violin’s sound is not as loud as the drums’.

Breakdown of Violinens lyd er ikke lige så høj som trommernes.

• være: to be
• lyden: the sound
• ikke: not
• høj: loud

Questions & Answers about Violinens lyd er ikke lige så høj som trommernes.

Why is it violinens and not violinen?

Because violinens is the genitive form, meaning the violin’s.

• violinen = the violin
• violinens = the violin’s

So Violinens lyd literally means the violin’s sound.

In Danish, the genitive is usually made by adding -s to the noun, including nouns that already have the definite ending:

• bogen = the book
• bogens = the book’s

Why does lyd not have -en on it?

Because lyd is being used in a possessive phrase: Violinens lyd = the violin’s sound.

In Danish, when a noun is modified by a genitive phrase, it is usually indefinite, just like in English:

• the violin’s sound
• not the violin’s the sound

So:

• violinens lyd = the violin’s sound
• not violinens lyden

What does ikke lige så ... som mean?