A1 Danish GrammarNoun Gender
Understand Danish noun gender: common (en-words) and neuter (et-words). Learn which articles to use, common patterns for predicting gender, and why gender matters for adjectives, possessives, and pronouns in Danish sentences.
1Common Gender (En-words)
Danish has two grammatical genders: common (fælleskøn) and neuter (intetkøn). Common gender nouns use 'en' as the indefinite article. About 75% of Danish nouns are common gender. Living beings, tools, and many everyday objects are typically common gender.
Common Gender Nouns (En-words)
| Danish | English | Category |
|---|---|---|
| en mand | a man | people |
| en kvinde | a woman | people |
| en bil | a car | vehicles |
| en bog | a book | objects |
Examples
Jeg har en hund.
I have a dog.
'hund' is common gender (en hund)
Hun er en god lærer.
She is a good teacher.
'lærer' is common gender
Der er en stol i hjørnet.
There is a chair in the corner.
'stol' is common gender
Jeg køber en avis hver dag.
I buy a newspaper every day.
'avis' is common gender
2Neuter Gender (Et-words)
Neuter gender nouns use 'et' as the indefinite article. Many abstract concepts, collective nouns, and things without natural gender are neuter. Buildings, countries, and many food items tend to be neuter. You must memorize the gender with each new noun.
Neuter Gender Nouns (Et-words)
| Danish | English | Category |
|---|---|---|
| et hus | a house | buildings |
| et barn | a child | people |
| et bord | a table | furniture |
| et æble | an apple | food |
Examples
Vi bor i et lille hus.
We live in a small house.
'hus' is neuter (et hus)
Jeg har et spørgsmål.
I have a question.
'spørgsmål' is neuter
Der er et vindue i værelset.
There is a window in the room.
'vindue' is neuter
Hun spiser et æble.
She eats an apple.
'æble' is neuter
3Definite Form (The)
In Danish, the definite article ('the') is added to the end of the noun. Common gender nouns add '-en' and neuter nouns add '-et'. This is different from English where 'the' comes before the noun. The ending changes slightly based on the word's final letters.
Indefinite vs. Definite
| Indefinite | Definite | English |
|---|---|---|
| en bil | bilen | the car |
| en bog | bogen | the book |
| et hus | huset | the house |
| et barn | barnet | the child |
Examples
Bilen er rød.
The car is red.
bil + en = bilen (common)
Huset er stort.
The house is big.
hus + et = huset (neuter)
Manden arbejder.
The man is working.
mand + en = manden
Barnet sover.
The child is sleeping.
barn + et = barnet
4Why Gender Matters
Noun gender affects many parts of Danish: articles (en/et), possessives (min/mit), adjectives, and pronouns. Knowing the gender is essential for correct Danish. When learning new nouns, always learn them with their article (en hund, et hus).
Gender Agreement Examples
| Element | Common (en) | Neuter (et) |
|---|---|---|
| Article | en stor bil | et stort hus |
| Possessive | min bil | mit hus |
| Demonstrative | denne bil | dette hus |
| Pronoun | den (it) | det (it) |
Examples
Hvor er den? (bilen)
Where is it? (the car)
'den' for common gender nouns
Hvor er det? (huset)
Where is it? (the house)
'det' for neuter nouns
Det er en smuk by.
It is a beautiful city.
'by' is common, uses 'en'
Det er et dejligt land.
It is a lovely country.
'land' is neuter, uses 'et'