-t (intetkøn)

Neuter Adjective -t

Level 2

In Danish, adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. When a noun is neuter (intetkøn), the adjective usually takes a -t suffix.

How It Works

Danish adjectives change their endings based on the noun's gender. For neuter nouns (et-words), the base form of the adjective adds a -t.

1. Basic Usage

  • Attributive: et stort hus (a big house)
  • Predicative: Huset er stort (The house is big)

2. Spelling and Pronunciation Rules

  • Vowel Shortening: Short words ending in a long vowel often shorten the vowel sound when the -t is added (e.g., ny becomes nyt).
  • Silent -t: In adjectives ending in -ig or -lig (like dejligt or billigt), the -t is written but usually not pronounced in natural speech.
  • Adjectives ending in -d: Most adjectives ending in -d preceded by a vowel DO take a -t (e.g., rødt, hvidt, blødt).
  • Adverbs: This same -t form is used to turn adjectives into adverbs, describing how something is done (e.g., Han løber hurtigt).

3. Important Exceptions
Do NOT add -t to:

  • Nationalities ending in -sk: Words like dansk, tysk, or norsk never take a -t.
  • Polysyllabic -sk words: Adjectives with more than one syllable ending in -sk (e.g., et praktisk bord). Note: Monosyllabic words that are NOT nationalities, like frisk, DO take a -t (friskt).
  • Specific -d exceptions: A few common adjectives like glad and fremmed never take a -t (e.g., et glad barn).
  • Adjectives ending in -s: Words like stakkels or gammeldags remain the same.
  • Invariable adjectives: Words ending in vowels like lilla or øde never change form.
  • Already ending in -t or -et: Words like sort or meget do not add an extra -t.

Examples (5)

  1. Jeg har købt et nyt bord.

    I have bought a new table.

    Word by Word: I have bought a new table.

    Since 'bord' is a neuter noun (et bord), the adjective 'ny' adds a -t to become 'nyt'.

  2. Barnet er meget sødt.

    The child is very sweet.

    Word by Word: The child is very sweet.

    Here, 'sødt' is in the predicative position (after the verb 'er'), agreeing with the neuter subject 'barnet'.

  3. Det er et svært spørgsmål.

    It is a difficult question.

    Word by Word: It is a difficult question.

    The adjective 'svær' (difficult) takes a -t because 'spørgsmål' is a neuter noun.

  4. Huset er hvidt.

    The house is white.

    Word by Word: The house is white.

    Even though 'hvid' ends in a 'd', we add the -t to agree with the neuter noun 'huset'.

  5. Han taler hurtigt.

    He speaks quickly.

    Word by Word: He speaks quickly.

    This shows the -t suffix being used to create an adverb from the adjective 'hurtig' (fast).

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the -t in the predicative position (after the verb).

    Huset er stor.
    Huset er stort.

    Learners often forget that adjectives must agree with the subject even when they come after the verb være.

  • Adding -t to nationalities or long adjectives ending in -sk.

    Et danskt flag.
    Et dansk flag.

    Nationalities ending in -sk (like dansk or tysk) never take a -t. Similarly, adjectives with more than one syllable ending in -sk (like praktisk) do not take a -t.

  • Keeping the -t in a definite phrase.

    Det nyt hus.
    Det nye hus.

    When a phrase is definite (using det), the adjective changes to the -e ending, and the -t is dropped.

How It Connects

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

-t (intetkøn)Level 2Neuter Adjective -t

Learn This First

To learn the neuter adjective ending -t, you must first understand that Danish nouns have genders. Specifically, you need to recognize neuter nouns (often identified by the article 'et') and understand the basic rules for placing adjectives before nouns or after the verb 'være'.

Words in This Pattern

-t