-e (adjektiv)
Adjective -e (Plural and Definite)
In Danish, adjectives change their ending based on the noun they describe. While singular indefinite nouns use the base form or a -t ending, adjectives with plural nouns and adjectives placed before a definite noun usually take the -e ending.
How It Works
Danish adjectives follow a specific agreement pattern. While adjective agreement usually involves choosing between the common gender (base) and neuter (-t) forms, gender distinctions disappear in plural adjectives and definite attributive forms; a singular predicative adjective still agrees in gender. In most cases, adjectives take an -e ending.
1. Plural Nouns
Regardless of whether the noun is common or neuter, if there is more than one, the adjective usually gets an -e.
- En stor hund (One big dog) → To store hunde (Two big dogs)
- Et stort hus (One big house) → Mange store huse (Many big houses)
2. Definite Nouns (Attributive Use)
When an adjective is placed directly before a noun made definite by a definite article (den, det, de), a possessive pronoun (min, din, hans, etc.), or a genitive -s, it normally takes the definite adjective form, often with -e. Note that if the adjective comes after the verb (predicative), it does not take -e in the singular (e.g., Bilen er stor).
- Den gamle mand (The old man)
- Mit nye ur (My new watch)
- Peters pæne bil (Peter's nice car)
Spelling and Special Rules:
- Consonant Doubling: If an adjective has a short, stressed vowel followed by a single consonant, that consonant is often doubled (e.g., grøn → grønne; smuk → smukke).
- Vowel Dropping: Many adjectives ending in unstressed -el, -en, or -er drop their stem vowel (e.g., gammel → gamle; lækker → lækre).
- -et to -ede: Adjectives ending in -et (like past participles) change to -ede (e.g., et malet bord → det malede bord).
- Stressed Vowels: Do not generalize an -e ending to stressed-vowel words: blå, grå, ru, sky, tro normally remain unchanged in plural/definite use. Learn ny → nye and fri → frie separately.
- Adjectives in -s: Some adjectives like gratis and fælles do not take -e, while others like tilfreds do (tilfredse).
Predicative plural: The plural form is also used after a verb: Bilerne er store (the cars are big) and Husene er store (the houses are big). Compare singular Bilen er stor and Huset er stort. Invariant adjectives keep their form, so plural agreement does not mean every adjective gains a written e.
Examples (5)
- De store hunde leger i haven.
The big dogs are playing in the garden.
Word by Word: The big dogs play in garden-the.
Here, 'store' takes the -e ending because 'hunde' is plural and definite.
- Jeg har to røde æbler.
I have two red apples.
Word by Word: I have two red apples.
Even though 'æbler' is indefinite, the adjective 'røde' takes -e because the noun is plural.
- Hvor er min blå jakke?
Where is my blue jacket?
Word by Word: Where is my blue jacket?
The possessive 'min' makes the phrase definite, so the adjective 'blå' would normally take an -e, but blå stays blå in the definite and plural. Its gender/number paradigm is blå/blåt/blå, with blåt in the neuter singular.
- Det smukke hus ligger ved vandet.
The beautiful house is located by the water.
Word by Word: The beautiful house lies by water-the.
The adjective 'smuk' doubles the 'k' and adds -e because of the definite article 'det'.
- Hendes nye sko er meget dyre.
Her new shoes are very expensive.
Word by Word: Her new shoes are very expensive.
Both 'nye' (modifying 'sko') and 'dyre' (as a predicate) take the -e ending because 'sko' is plural.
Common Mistakes
Using the definite noun suffix after a definite article and adjective.
Den store bilen.Den store bil.In Danish, you cannot have 'double definiteness'. If you use 'den/det' before an adjective, the noun must be in its base form, not the definite form with -en/-et.
Forgetting to double the consonant in short-vowel adjectives.
De smuke blomster.De smukke blomster.Adjectives like 'smuk' or 'grøn' require a double consonant before the -e ending to preserve the short vowel sound.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand the -e ending for adjectives, you first need to know how to place adjectives before nouns. You also need to be familiar with plural nouns and possessive pronouns, as these grammatical contexts require the adjective to take the -e suffix regardless of the noun's gender.
- Adjective Before The Noun
Understanding how adjectives are placed before nouns is essential before learning how their endings change in specific contexts.
Level 1 - -er (flertal)Plural -er
The learner needs to understand the concept of noun plurality, as the -e ending on adjectives is triggered by plural nouns.
Level 2 - min/mit/mineMy
Possessive pronouns are one of the primary triggers for the definite -e form of the adjective.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Adjective Agreement
This is the overarching rule system that determines when to use the base form, the -t form, or the -e form.
Level 2 - -t (intetkøn)Neuter Adjective -t
The -t ending is the 'strong' neuter singular form, which contrasts with the 'weak' -e form used in definite/plural contexts.
Level 2 - den/det/de + AdjectiveDefinite with an Adjective
This pattern explains how to form definite noun phrases using articles, which triggers the -e ending on the adjective.
Level 2 - No Double Definiteness
Explains the rule that you cannot use the definite noun suffix (-en/-et) when a definite article (den/det) is present.
Level 2 - lille/småSmall (Lille/små)
The adjective 'lille' is highly irregular and does not use the standard -e ending for plural; it changes to 'små' instead.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice -e (adjektiv) in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Danish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
