Adjectives Used As Nouns

Level 3

In Danish, you can turn an adjective into a noun by placing den, det, or de in front of it. This removes the need for words like 'one', 'thing', or 'people'.

How It Works

This pattern is a core feature of Danish used to avoid redundancy. Instead of saying 'the rich people', Danes simply say de rige. While the independent definite article (den/det/de) is standard for specific references, it is often omitted in generic contrastive pairs (e.g., ung og gammel) or proverbs.

1. Morphology:
When an adjective is used as a noun, it typically takes the definite form ending in -e.

  • Consonant Doubling: If the adjective ends in a short vowel followed by a single consonant, that consonant is doubled (e.g., grøn becomes den grønne).
  • Syncopation: Adjectives ending in -el, -en, or -er drop the middle -e- (e.g., gammel becomes den gamle).
  • Irregularities: Some adjectives are invariant, such as gratis. But -sk is not a reason to omit definite/plural -e: den franske, de praktiske, de romantiske. Do not confuse this with restrictions on neuter -t in -sk adjectives. The adjective lille is highly irregular, becoming den lille in the singular and de små in the plural.

2. Gender and Number:

  • Den: Used for people (den blinde - the blind person) or common gender objects.
  • Det: Used for neuter gender objects or abstract ideas (det smukke - the beautiful/beauty).
  • De: Used for plural groups of people or objects (e.g., 'Jeg har to biler. De blå er hurtigst').

3. The Rule of Definiteness:
Danish follows the rule of no double definiteness. In this pattern, because the noun itself is omitted, the pre-posed article (den/det/de) is the only marker of definiteness. You never use a noun suffix (-en/-et) because there is no noun to attach it to; the adjective stands alone as the head of the phrase.

Examples (5)

  1. De rige har mange penge.

    The rich [people] have a lot of money.

    Word by Word: The rich have many money.

    'De rige' refers to the group of people who are rich.

  2. Det vigtigste er at være glad.

    The most important [thing] is to be happy.

    Word by Word: The most-important is to be happy.

    'Det vigtigste' uses the neuter article to refer to an abstract concept or 'the thing'.

  3. Jeg kan bedst lide den blå.

    I like the blue one best.

    Word by Word: I can best like the blue.

    'Den blå' refers to a specific common-gender object (like a car or a shirt) mentioned earlier.

  4. De små leger i haven.

    The little ones are playing in the garden.

    Word by Word: The small play in the-garden.

    'De små' is the plural form of 'lille' used as a noun to refer to children.

  5. Man skal vælge det gode frem for det onde.

    One should choose the good over the evil.

    Word by Word: One shall choose the good forward for the evil.

    Here, 'det gode' and 'det onde' represent abstract philosophical concepts.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding 'en' or 'man' (one) after the adjective like in English.

    Jeg vil have den røde en.
    Jeg vil have den røde.

    In Danish, the adjective itself acts as the noun. Adding 'en' (one) is an English-influenced error.

  • Forgetting the -e ending on the adjective.

    Den gammel er gået i stykker.
    Den gamle er gået i stykker.

    After den in this definite reference, gammel takes the form gamle. Other constructions and invariant adjectives need their own forms; not every noun-like adjective must add a new -e.

  • Using 'det' for a person.

    Det syge ligger i sengen.
    Den syge ligger i sengen.

    Use 'den' for a specific person. 'Det syge' would imply 'the sick thing' or the abstract concept of sickness.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Adjectives Used As NounsLevel 3

Learn This First

To use adjectives as nouns in Danish, you need to understand how to form definite adjective phrases using the articles 'den', 'det', and 'de'. You also need to be familiar with adjective inflection, specifically the use of the -e ending for definite and plural forms, and how adjectives agree with the implied gender or number of the person or thing being described.

Words in This Pattern

dende