den
/dɛnˀ/
In Danish, the English word "the" is expressed by den.
den is used as the definite article for nouns belonging to the common gender. In Danish, masculine and feminine nouns are grouped together under this category.
Meaning: article (article)
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, which uses "the" for all nouns, Danish distinguishes between noun genders. Use den for common gender nouns, but use det for neuter gender nouns. Additionally, while den is used for singular common gender nouns, the plural form of the definite article is de.
How does it change in a sentence?
den functions as the definite article for masculine and feminine nouns, which are categorized as common gender. For neuter gender nouns, you must use det instead.
How do you pronounce it?
/dɛnˀ/
Did you know?
- While den is used as 'the' before a noun, Danish usually attaches the definite article to the end of the noun itself, such as hund for 'dog' and hunden for 'the dog'.
- The word den is actually a descendant of a word that meant 'that' rather than 'the'. It evolved from the Old Norse word for 'that' to become the primary definite article in modern Danish.
- When using an adjective, Danish requires the separate article den before the adjective and a suffix on the noun, such as den store hund for 'the big dog'.
Examples in context
- Du er den eneste.You are the only one.Tatoeba #2566266 by danepo, translation #20104 by CK
- Den sorte er min.The black one is mine.Tatoeba #6696750 by danepo, translation #823527 by sacredceltic
- Jeg er den bedste.I am the best.Tatoeba #2350863 by danepo, translation #409664 by CN
- Den store bilThe big car
- Den gamle bygningThe old building
- Det lille husThe small house
- Det lyse værelseThe bright room
- 1094 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Noah are looking at a specific book on a shelf.
- NoahEr det den her bog?Is it this book?
- EmmaJa, det er den.Yes, it is the one.
- NoahDen er meget god.It is very good.
- EmmaJeg er enig med dig.I agree with you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry den, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries den, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
