et

Indefinite Article (Neuter)

Level 1

In Danish, et is the indefinite article ('a' or 'an') used specifically for neuter gender nouns. It is placed before the noun or its adjectives.

How It Works

The word et primarily indicates that a noun is singular and indefinite, signaling that the noun belongs to the neuter gender (intetkøn). It is also important to note that -et serves as the definite suffix for these same nouns (e.g., bordet - the table).

1. Placement
Like in English, et comes before the noun: et bord (a table). If there is an adjective, et comes before the adjective: et stort bord (a big table).

2. Adjective Agreement
When you use et, the following adjective usually takes a -t ending to match the neuter gender. This is part of adjective agreement. For example:

  • Et stort hus (A big house)

However, several types of adjectives do not add an extra -t:

  • Adjectives ending in -t: et sort hus (a black house).
  • Adjectives ending in -e: et lille barn (a small child).
  • Adjectives ending in -es: et stakkels dyr (a poor animal).
  • Adjectives ending in -isk: et typisk eksempel (a typical example).
  • Monosyllabic nationality adjectives in -sk often have no t: et dansk flag. This does not apply to all monosyllabic -sk words: et friskt æble and et raskt barn take t.

3. Pronunciation
In natural speech, the article et is usually unstressed. The 't' is often silent or very soft, making it sound closer to /eh/.

4. Distinction from the Number One
When you want to emphasize the number 'one' specifically (e.g., 'only one house'), Danish often uses an accent: ét. The article et is usually unstressed.

Article Versus Suffix: In standard pronunciation, the definite noun ending in bordet normally has a soft d sound, [ð], although its realization varies. This is distinct from the often reduced unstressed article et; it is not a hard t. With A Definite Adjective: Compare et stort bord (a big table), bordet (the table), and det store bord (the big table). In the ordinary det + adjective pattern, use det and the definite adjective form; leave the noun without -et.

Examples (4)

  1. Jeg har et æble.

    I have an apple.

    Word by Word: I have a apple.

    Here, 'æble' is a neuter noun, so it uses 'et'. Note that unlike English, the starting vowel doesn't change 'et' to something else.

  2. Det er et stort hus.

    It is a big house.

    Word by Word: It is a big-t house.

    Because 'hus' is neuter, the adjective 'stor' must add a -t to become 'stort'.

  3. Der står et barn ved døren.

    There is a child standing by the door.

    Word by Word: There stands a child by door-the.

    Barn is neuter. Biological animacy does not determine grammatical gender; learn et barn with its article.

  4. Jeg bor i et lille værelse.

    I live in a small room.

    Word by Word: I live in a small room.

    'Værelse' (room) is neuter. Note that 'lille' is an irregular adjective that doesn't add a -t.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'en' for neuter nouns.

    Jeg har en barn.
    Jeg har et barn.

    Learners often default to 'en' because it is more common, but 'barn' is strictly neuter and must use 'et'.

  • Forgetting the -t on adjectives after 'et'.

    Et ny hus.
    Et nyt hus.

    Use the adjective's neuter form: ny becomes nyt. Most adjectives add t, but some have unchanged or irregular forms.

  • Using 'et' for professions.

    Han er et arkitekt.
    Han er arkitekt.

    A plain profession predicate normally has no article: Han er arkitekt. Arkitekt is a common-gender noun, so when an article is appropriate, as in Han er en dygtig arkitekt, it is en, not et.

How It Connects

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etLevel 1Indefinite Article (Neuter)

Learn This First

To use 'et' correctly, you need to understand the concept of noun gender in Danish, as this article is specifically used for neuter nouns.

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