sådan en/sådan et

Such a (Sådan En)

Level 3

sådan en/et is the standard way to say 'such a' or 'that kind of' in Danish. It changes based on the gender of the noun it describes.

How It Works

The phrase sådan en/et is a demonstrative determiner. While it literally translates to 'such a', its usage is very frequent in spoken Danish.

1. Gender Agreement
You must match the article to the gender of the noun:

  • sådan en + common gender (e.g., bil, dag, hund)
  • sådan et + neuter gender (e.g., hus, barn, ur)

2. Adjective Agreement
When you use an adjective after 'sådan en/et', it must always be in the indefinite form. For example: sådan en stor bil (not store) or sådan et stort hus. Even though the phrase points to something specific, it follows the rules for indefinite adjectives.

3. Mass Nouns (Uncountable)
When referring to uncountable things like mad (food) or vejr (weather), use sådan noget. This is extremely common in daily conversation to mean 'that kind of stuff'.

4. Formal vs. Spoken Word Order
In modern spoken Danish, sådan almost always precedes the article (sådan en...). In formal writing, the order is often reversed, and the neuter form changes:

  • Formal Common: en sådan
  • Formal Neuter: et sådant

5. Plural Forms
When talking about multiple things, the singular en/et is dropped. In speech, use sådan nogle. In formal writing, use sådanne.

6. Two Main Uses

  • Identifying: 'Jeg vil have sådan en bil' (I want a car like that one).
  • Intensifying: 'Det er sådan en god film!' (It is such a good movie!).

Examples (6)

  1. Jeg har aldrig set sådan en stor hund før.

    I have never seen such a big dog before.

    Word by Word: I have never seen such a big dog before.

    Here, 'sådan en' is used with 'hund' (common gender) to emphasize the size.

  2. Hvorfor købte du sådan et dyrt ur?

    Why did you buy such an expensive watch?

    Word by Word: Why bought you such a expensive watch?

    We use 'sådan et' because 'ur' (watch) is a neuter noun.

  3. Jeg vil gerne have sådan en kage.

    I would like a cake like that one.

    Word by Word: I will gladly have such a cake.

    In this context, 'sådan en' identifies a specific type or example of a cake.

  4. Det var sådan et hyggeligt hus.

    It was such a cozy house.

    Word by Word: It was such a cozy house.

    Used here to intensify the description of the house.

  5. Jeg kan godt lide sådan noget musik.

    I really like that kind of music.

    Word by Word: I can well like such something music.

    We use 'sådan noget' for uncountable mass nouns like 'musik'.

  6. Har du set sådan nogle sko før?

    Have you seen such shoes before?

    Word by Word: Have you seen such some shoes before?

    This shows the plural form 'sådan nogle' used in casual speech.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the definite adjective form after 'sådan en/et'.

    Det er sådan en gode film.
    Det er sådan en god film.

    Even though 'sådan en' acts like a demonstrative, the following adjective must stay in the indefinite form. Do not add the -e ending here.

  • Using the wrong gender for the noun.

    Jeg bor i sådan en stort hus.
    Jeg bor i sådan et stort hus.

    Since 'hus' is neuter, you must use 'et' and ensure the adjective has the -t ending.

  • Using the singular form for plural nouns.

    Jeg kan lide sådan en bøger.
    Jeg kan lide sådan nogle bøger.

    For plural nouns, you must use 'sådan nogle' (informal) or 'sådanne' (formal).

How It Connects

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

sådan en/sådan etLevel 3Such a (Sådan En)

Learn This First

To understand 'sådan en/et/nogle', you first need to be familiar with Danish noun genders (en/et) and how to form the plural using 'nogle', as 'sådan' must agree with the noun it modifies in both gender and number.

Words in This Pattern

sådan