nogen/noget/nogle

Some / Any / Someone

Level 2

Danish uses nogen, noget, and nogle to mean 'some' or 'any'. The choice depends on whether the sentence is positive or negative, and the gender/number of the noun.

How It Works

These words function as both determiners (before a noun) and pronouns (standing alone).

1. Nogle (Plural Positive)
Use nogle when you are making a positive statement about a small, unspecified number of plural items. It translates to 'some' or 'a few'.
Jeg har nogle venner. (I have some friends.)

2. Nogen (Questions, Negations, and People)
Use nogen in questions and negative sentences, even if the noun is plural. It also acts as a pronoun meaning 'someone' or 'anyone'.
Har du nogen spørgsmål? (Do you have any questions?)
Jeg så ikke nogen. (I didn't see anyone.)

3. Noget (Neuter, Uncountable, and Things)
Use noget for neuter nouns (et-words) and uncountable mass nouns like water or coffee. As a pronoun, it means 'something' or 'anything'.
Vil du have noget vand? (Would you like some water?)
Jeg hørte noget. (I heard something.)

Pronunciation Note: In spoken Danish, nogen and nogle are usually pronounced exactly the same (/no-en/). You must rely on the grammatical context to know which one to write.

Examples (6)

  1. Jeg har nogle æbler til dig.

    I have some apples for you.

    Word by Word: I have some apples for you.

    We use 'nogle' because the sentence is positive and 'æbler' is plural.

  2. Har du nogen søskende?

    Do you have any siblings?

    Word by Word: Have you any siblings?

    We use 'nogen' because it is a question, even though 'søskende' is plural.

  3. Jeg har ikke nogen penge.

    I don't have any money.

    Word by Word: I have not any money.

    We use 'nogen' here because the sentence is negative ('ikke').

  4. Vil du have noget kaffe?

    Would you like some coffee?

    Word by Word: Will you have some coffee?

    We use 'noget' because 'kaffe' is an uncountable mass noun.

  5. Er der nogen hjemme?

    Is anyone home?

    Word by Word: Is there anyone home?

    As a pronoun referring to people, 'nogen' means 'anyone' or 'someone'.

  6. Jeg skal købe noget brød.

    I need to buy some bread.

    Word by Word: I shall buy some bread.

    We use 'noget' because 'brød' is a neuter noun (et brød).

Common Mistakes

  • Choosing 'nogle' where 'nogen' is the usual word in a question.

    Different MeaningHar du nogle spørgsmål?
    Har du nogen spørgsmål?

    'Har du nogle spørgsmål?' is also natural Danish. In questions, negatives and conditions, 'nogen' (any) is the usual choice: Har du nogen spørgsmål? Both are used.

  • Using 'nogen' with a neuter word.

    Jeg vil gerne have nogen vand.
    Jeg vil gerne have noget vand.

    'Vand' is a neuter word (et vand), so 'some' is 'noget': noget vand. 'Nogen' goes with common-gender singular words, such as nogen mælk, and with plurals. So the rule is about gender, not about mass nouns.

  • Confusing 'nogen' and 'nogle' in writing because they sound the same.

    Jeg har nogen venner.
    Jeg har nogle venner.

    'Nogle' is the usual word for 'some' with plural nouns in positive sentences, and 'nogen' is mainly for questions and negatives. The two are often pronounced alike in fast speech, so people mix them up in writing.

How It Connects

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nogen/noget/nogleLevel 2Some / Any / Someone

Learn This First

To use 'nogen', 'noget', and 'nogle' correctly, you need to understand Danish noun genders (common vs. neuter) and the difference between singular and plural forms. This pattern functions similarly to the distinction between 'some' and 'any' in English, but is strictly tied to the grammatical gender and number of the noun it refers to.

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Words in This Pattern

nogennogen