gøre + Object + Adjective

Make + Adjective (Gøre)

Level 4

The Danish construction gøre + [object] + [adjective] is used to express that something or someone causes a change in state or emotion. It is the equivalent of the English 'to make someone/something [adjective]'.

How It Works

This causative construction is a fundamental part of Danish syntax. It follows the word order: Subject + gøre + Object + Adjective.

1. Agreement is Key
Because the adjective describes the object, it must follow the rules of adjective agreement:

  • Common gender: Han gjorde bilen ren. (He made the car clean.)
  • Neuter gender: Han gjorde huset rent. (He made the house clean.)
  • Plural: Det gjorde dem glade. (It made them happy.)

2. The Verb 'Gøre'
The verb gøre is an irregular verb. You must be careful with its forms:

  • Present: gør
  • Past: gjorde (Note: the 'd' is silent)
  • Past Participle: gjort

3. Usage Nuance
Use this pattern for emotional impacts (making someone sad, happy, or angry) and for changing the status of objects (making something ready, finished, or clean). Do not confuse this with blive + adjective, which simply describes the process of 'becoming' without an external cause.

Examples (5)

  1. Det gør mig glad at se dig.

    It makes me happy to see you.

    Word by Word: It makes me happy to see you.

    Here, 'mig' (me) is the object, and 'glad' is the adjective describing the state caused by seeing you.

  2. Varmen gjorde ham meget træt.

    The heat made him very tired.

    Word by Word: The heat made him very tired.

    The past tense 'gjorde' is used here to show a completed cause-and-effect.

  3. Vi skal gøre projektet færdigt inden fredag.

    We must finish the project before Friday.

    Word by Word: We shall make the project finished before Friday.

    Since 'projektet' is neuter, the adjective 'færdig' takes the -t ending to become 'færdigt'.

  4. Filmen gjorde børnene bange.

    The movie made the children scared.

    Word by Word: The movie made the children scared.

    The adjective 'bange' (scared) describes the plural object 'børnene'.

  5. Kan du gøre vinduet rent?

    Can you clean the window?

    Word by Word: Can you make the window clean?

    This is a common way to express cleaning a specific object; 'rent' agrees with the neuter 'vinduet'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'lave' instead of 'gøre' for emotional states.

    Du laver mig glad.
    Du gør mig glad.

    'Lave' is for physical production (like making food). For causing a state or emotion, 'gøre' is the correct verb.

  • Forgetting adjective agreement for neuter or plural objects.

    Det gjorde dem glad.
    Det gjorde dem glade.

    Because 'dem' (them) is plural, the adjective 'glad' must take the plural -e ending.

  • Misspelling the past tense of 'gøre'.

    Han gørde det rent.
    Han gjorde det rent.

    The past tense of 'gøre' is 'gjorde'. It is irregular and does not follow the standard -ede or -te endings.

How It Connects

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

gøre + Object + AdjectiveLevel 4Make + Adjective (Gøre)

Learn This First

To use 'gøre + adjective', you need to understand how to use object pronouns, as they are the most common objects in this construction. You also need to be familiar with the irregular forms of the verb 'gøre' and how adjectives must agree with the object they are modifying.

Words in This Pattern

gøre