-et/-t
Past Participle -et/-t
The past participle (kort tillægsform) usually ends in -et or -t. It is used with have or være to talk about the past, or as an adjective to describe a state.
How It Works
The past participle is a versatile form in Danish. Its primary roles include:
1. The Perfect Tense (Action): It combines with har or er to form the perfect tense (Jeg har spist / Jeg er gået). In this 'action' sense, the participle form is invariable and does not change for number or gender.
2. The Passive Voice: It is used with blive to show an action being done to someone (Bogen bliver læst). Like the perfect tense, the participle remains in its base form here.
3. Adjectival Use & State: When used as an adjective or to describe a state with være, an adjectival participle follows adjective agreement. In adjectival plural/definite forms, replace weak -et with -ede: vasket → vaskede. After weak -t, add only -e: købt → købte, spist → spiste. Strong forms need their own pattern, often -ne: skrevet → skrevne, fundet → fundne. For neuter nouns, participles ending in -et do not add an extra 't' (e.g., 'et malet hus').
4. Auxiliary Selection: Most verbs use 'har'. Many intransitive verbs use 'er' for a resulting change of state or place, but activity-focused uses can take 'har': Jeg har løbet i en time versus Jeg er løbet hjem.
Verb Or Adjective? A sentence with være can also report an action/result, so it does not automatically force adjective agreement: Bøgerne er læst is grammatical. Compare the clear adjective phrase de læste bøger. The distinction between verbal and adjectival uses matters more than the helping verb alone.
Examples (5)
- Jeg har arbejdet hele dagen.
I have worked all day.
Word by Word: I have worked whole day-the.
A Group 1 verb (at arbejde) taking the -et ending in the perfect tense.
- Han har spist sin mad.
He has eaten his food.
Word by Word: He has eaten his food.
A Group 2 verb (at spise) taking the -t ending.
- Vinduet er lukket.
The window is closed.
Word by Word: Window-the is closed.
Here the participle 'lukket' describes the state of the window.
- De har skrevet et brev.
They have written a letter.
Word by Word: They have written a letter.
A strong verb (at skrive) showing a vowel change (i -> e) and the -et ending.
- Gæsterne er kommet nu.
The guests have arrived now.
Word by Word: Guests-the are come now.
Verbs of motion like 'at komme' use 'er' instead of 'har' in the perfect tense.
Common Mistakes
Adding adjective agreement inside a perfect tense.
De har læste bøgerne.De har læst bøgerne.After har, the verbal participle is invariable. With være, distinguish a verbal passive/result report (Bøgerne er læst) from an adjectival description (Vinduerne er lukkede). Være alone does not require every participle to agree; the original Bøgerne er læst is valid.
Using the past tense (-ede) instead of the participle (-et) after 'har'.
Jeg har lavede mad.Jeg har lavet mad.In English, 'worked' is both the past tense and participle. In Danish, you must distinguish between the past tense 'lavede' and the participle 'lavet' used in the perfect tense.
Using 'har' for verbs of motion when expressing a change of state.
Jeg har gået hjem nu.Jeg er gået hjem nu.If you mean 'I have left for home' (a change of location), you must use 'er'. 'Jeg har gået' would mean 'I have been walking' as an activity.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the past participle (-et/-t), you first need to know the auxiliary verbs 'have' and 'være' which are used to form compound tenses. Additionally, familiarity with the two main weak verb conjugation groups (Group 1 and Group 2) is essential for choosing the correct participle ending.
- haveTo Have (Have)
The past participle is primarily used with the auxiliary verb 'have' to form the present perfect tense.
Level 1 - -edePast Tense -ede
Understanding the distinction between Group 1 and Group 2 verbs in the past tense helps in identifying which participle ending (-et or -t) to apply.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- har + Past ParticiplePerfect with Har
This is the primary tense construction using the past participle.
Level 2 - er + Past ParticiplePerfect with Er
Used for perfect tenses with verbs of motion or change of state.
Level 2 - har / erChoosing Har or Er
Explains the logic behind choosing the correct auxiliary verb for the participle.
Level 2 - Past Participles As Adjectives
Explains how these forms function as descriptive words and how they agree with nouns.
Level 3 - Strong (Vowel-Change) Past Tense
Strong verbs often have irregular past participle forms with vowel shifts.
Level 2 - blive + Past ParticipleBlive-Passive
The past participle is used with 'blive' to form the action passive.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice -et/-t in Bubblegum
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