Jeg køber nyt opvaskemiddel i supermarkedet, hvis flasken er tom.

I buy new dish soap at the supermarket if the bottle is empty.

Breakdown of Jeg køber nyt opvaskemiddel i supermarkedet, hvis flasken er tom.

• jeg: I
• være: to be
• købe: to buy
• ny: new

Questions & Answers about Jeg køber nyt opvaskemiddel i supermarkedet, hvis flasken er tom.

Why is it nyt and not ny?

Because opvaskemiddel is a neuter noun: et opvaskemiddel.

In Danish, an adjective in the indefinite singular agrees with the noun’s gender:

• common gender: en ny flaske
• neuter: et nyt opvaskemiddel

So nyt opvaskemiddel is the correct neuter form.

Why is there no article before nyt opvaskemiddel?

Here opvaskemiddel is being used like a mass noun, similar to English dish soap.

So Danish often says:

• Jeg køber nyt opvaskemiddel = I buy new dish soap

without et.

If you say et nyt opvaskemiddel, it can sound more like a new dishwashing product / a new kind of dish soap / a new brand, rather than just more dish soap in general.

Why is it flasken and not en flaske?

Flasken is the definite form, meaning the bottle.

The sentence assumes there is a specific bottle already known from the situation, probably the bottle of dish soap at home. Danish usually marks definiteness by adding an ending:

• en flaske = a bottle
• flasken = the bottle

So hvis flasken er tom means if the bottle is empty, not just if a bottle is empty.

Why is it hvis and not ?