Plural With No Ending

Level 2

While most Danish nouns add -er or -e in the plural, 'zero plural' nouns stay exactly the same as their singular form when indefinite (e.g., et år → to år).

How It Works

In Danish, pluralization usually involves adding a suffix. However, the 'zero plural' category is a regular part of the language where the indefinite plural form is identical to the singular.

1. Neuter Monosyllables
The largest group consists of neuter nouns (words that take et) that have only one syllable. It is important to note that this is word-specific; while many neuter monosyllables use the zero plural, others take the -e ending (like et hus → huse). You should learn these individually. Examples of zero plural include:

  • et år (a year) → to år (two years)
  • et ord (a word) → mange ord (many words)
  • et knæ (a knee) → to knæ (two knees)
  • et fag (a subject) → flere fag (more subjects)

2. Common Gender Exceptions
A few very common words that take en also use the zero plural:

  • en sko (a shoe) → to sko (two shoes)
  • en fejl (a mistake) → mange fejl (many mistakes)
  • en ting (a thing) → fem ting (five things)
  • en fisk (a fish) → ti fisk (ten fish)

3. Units and Measurements
When used after a number, many units of measurement or currency do not change:

  • fem point (five points)
  • ti øre (ten øre)

4. The Definite Form
It is crucial to remember that 'zero plural' only applies to the indefinite form. When these nouns become definite (meaning 'the'), they still require the definite plural suffix -ene.
Example: år (years) → årene (the years).

Examples (5)

  1. Jeg har boet her i fem år.

    I have lived here for five years.

    Word by Word: I have lived here in five year.

    'År' is a neuter monosyllable and does not take an ending in the plural.

  2. Der er mange ting i tasken.

    There are many things in the bag.

    Word by Word: There are many thing in bag-the.

    'Ting' is a common gender noun that belongs to the zero plural group.

  3. Hvor er mine sko?

    Where are my shoes?

    Word by Word: Where are my shoe?

    'Sko' remains 'sko' in the indefinite plural, even though it is a common gender noun.

  4. Han kan tale fem sprog.

    He can speak five languages.

    Word by Word: He can speak five language.

    'Sprog' (language) is a neuter noun ending in a consonant, so it takes no plural ending.

  5. Vi har lavet to fejl.

    We have made two mistakes.

    Word by Word: We have made two mistake.

    'Fejl' is another common gender exception that uses the zero plural.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -er to neuter monosyllables.

    Jeg er ti årer gammel.
    Jeg er ti år gammel.

    Learners often over-apply the standard '-er' ending. Note that 'årer' actually means 'oars' (for a boat)!

  • Using plain 'år' after 'de' when you mean 'the years'.

    Different MeaningDe år var gode.
    Årene var gode.

    'De år var gode' is correct Danish, but it means 'those years were good'. For plain 'the years', use the definite plural: 'årene'. Remember that the indefinite plural ('ti år') has no ending, but the definite plural ends in '-ene'.

  • Assuming all neuter nouns are zero plural.

    Jeg har to hus.
    Jeg har to huse.

    Not all neuter nouns are zero plural. 'Et hus' (a house) takes the '-e' ending in plural: 'huse'.

How It Connects

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Plural With No EndingLevel 2

Learn This First

To understand the zero plural pattern, you need to be familiar with Danish noun genders (especially neuter nouns) and how plurals are typically formed using suffixes, so you can identify when a noun remains unchanged in its plural form.

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