A1 Danish GrammarPlural Nouns
Form plurals correctly in Danish with common endings like -er, -e, and -r. Learn the main plural patterns, irregular plurals, and how to make definite plurals (the cars, the houses). Essential for talking about multiple things.
1Plural Ending: -er
The most common plural ending in Danish is '-er'. This is used for most common gender (en-words) nouns that end in a consonant. Simply add '-er' to the singular form. This pattern covers a large percentage of Danish nouns.
Plurals with -er
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| en bil | biler | cars |
| en hund | hunde | dogs |
| en bog | bøger | books |
| en dag | dage | days |
Examples
Jeg har to biler.
I have two cars.
bil → biler (add -er)
Der er mange hunde i parken.
There are many dogs in the park.
hund → hunde (add -e)
Hun læser tre bøger om ugen.
She reads three books a week.
bog → bøger (vowel change + -er)
Vi arbejder fem dage om ugen.
We work five days a week.
dag → dage (add -e)
2Plural Ending: -e
Many nouns, especially those ending in a consonant cluster, take the '-e' ending. Some monosyllabic nouns also use '-e'. This ending is common for both common and neuter nouns. The vowel sometimes changes in the plural (umlaut).
Plurals with -e
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| en ven | venner | friends |
| en time | timer | hours |
| et træ | træer | trees |
| en nat | nætter | nights |
Examples
Jeg har mange venner.
I have many friends.
ven → venner (double consonant + -er)
Vi venter i to timer.
We wait for two hours.
time → timer (add -r)
Der er store træer i haven.
There are big trees in the garden.
træ → træer (add -er)
Jeg sov dårligt i tre nætter.
I slept badly for three nights.
nat → nætter (vowel change + -ter)
3No Change or Irregular Plurals
Some nouns don't change in the plural, especially neuter nouns ending in -er, -el, -en. Some nouns have irregular plurals that must be memorized. Common irregular plurals include børn (children), mænd (men), and kvinder (women).
Irregular and Unchanged Plurals
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| et barn | børn | children |
| en mand | mænd | men |
| en fod | fødder | feet |
| et øje | øjne | eyes |
Examples
De har tre børn.
They have three children.
barn → børn (irregular)
To mænd venter udenfor.
Two men are waiting outside.
mand → mænd (vowel change)
Mine fødder gør ondt.
My feet hurt.
fod → fødder (vowel change + -der)
Hun har blå øjne.
She has blue eyes.
øje → øjne (irregular)
4Definite Plural (The + Plural)
To make a definite plural ('the cars', 'the houses'), add '-ne' to the indefinite plural. For words ending in -er, add -ne. For words ending in -e, add -ne. The pattern is: plural form + ne = definite plural.
Indefinite vs. Definite Plural
| Indef. Plural | Def. Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| biler | bilerne | the cars |
| huse | husene | the houses |
| børn | børnene | the children |
| bøger | bøgerne | the books |
Examples
Bilerne er parkeret udenfor.
The cars are parked outside.
biler + ne = bilerne
Husene i byen er gamle.
The houses in the city are old.
huse + ne = husene
Børnene leger i haven.
The children are playing in the garden.
børn + ene = børnene
Bøgerne er på bordet.
The books are on the table.
bøger + ne = bøgerne