Common Danish Adjectives

In Danish, tillægsord – also known as adjectives – play a crucial role in providing additional information about nouns. These descriptive words help to paint a vivid picture, add depth, and provide clarity to sentences.

In this article you will find a variety if Danish adjectives, but we will also look into the key aspects of Danish adjectives, including their forms, usage, and common examples.

 

Common Danish adjectives

• Stor (Large)
• Lille (Small)
• Høj (Tall)
• Lav (Short)
• Kort (Short)
• Lang (Long)
• Bred (Wide)
• Smal (Narrow)
• Tyk (Thick)
• Tynd (Thin)
• Hurtig (Fast)
• Langsom (Slow)
• Stærk (Strong)
• Svag (Weak)
• Mørk (Dark)
• Lys (Light)
• Gammel (Old)
• Ung (Young)
• Varm (Warm)
• Kold (Cold)
• Blød (Soft)
• Hård (Hard)
• Glat (Smooth)
• Ru (Rough)
• Skarp (Sharp)
• Sløv (Dull)
• Tør (Dry)
• Våd (Wet)
• Sund (Healthy)
• Syg (Sick)
• Rig (Rich)
• Fattig (Poor)
• Klog (Clever)
• Dum (Stupid)
• Sjov (Fun)
• Kedelig (Boring)
• Venlig (Friendly)
• Uvenlig (Unfriendly)
• Flot (Beautiful)
• Grim (Ugly)
• Træt (Tired)
• Frisk (Fresh)
• Rolig (Calm)
• Urolig (Restless)
• Glad (Happy)
• Ked (Sad)
• Modig (Brave)
• Bange (Afraid)
• Nem (Easy)
• Svær (Difficult)
• Dejlig (Lovely)
• Frygtelig (Terrible)
• Lækker (Delicious)
• Ulækker (Disgusting)
• Klar (Clear)
• Uklar (Unclear)
• Ren (Clean)
• Beskidt (Dirty)
• Tynd (Thin)
• Fed (Fat)
• Hurtig (Fast)
• Langsom (Slow)
• Lydløs (Silent)
• Larmende (Noisy)
• Skør (Crazy)
• Normal (Normal)
• Billig (Cheap)
• Dyr (Expensive)
• Fjern (Distant)
• Nær (Near)
• Stille (Quiet)
• Støjende (Noisy)
• Smuk (Beautiful)
• Grim (Ugly)
• Kraftig (Strong)
• Skrøbelig (Fragile)
• Tilfreds (Satisfied)
• Utilfreds (Dissatisfied)
• Heldige (Lucky)
• Uheldige (Unlucky)
• Kærlig (Loving)
• Hård (Tough)
• Sjælden (Rare)
• Almindelig (Common)
• Tynd (Thin)
• Stærk (Strong)
• Sjov (Fun)
• Alvorlig (Serious)
• Levende (Alive)
• Død (Dead)
• Gæstfri (Hospitable)
• Afvisende (Unwelcoming)
• Pålidelig (Reliable)
• Upålidelig (Unreliable)
• Tålmodig (Patient)
• Utålmodig (Impatient)
• Energisk (Energetic)
• Sløv (Sluggish)
• Talende (Talkative)
• Tavs (Silent)

 

Difficult Danish adjectives

Here is a short list of difficult Danish adjectives:

• Ambivalent (Ambivalent)
• Kompromitterende (Compromising)
• Subtil (Subtle)
• Paradoksal (Paradoxical)
• Inkongruent (Incongruent)
• Eksorbitant (Exorbitant)
• Konvergerende (Converging)
• Divergerende (Diverging)
• Esoterisk (Esoteric)
• Kryptisk (Cryptic)

 

Common Examples of Danish Adjectives

To better understand the use of adjectives in Danish, here are some common adjectives along with their translations:

• Smuk (Beautiful)
• Lille (Small)
• Glad (Happy)
• Ny (New)
• Dyrt (Expensive)
• Varm (Hot)
• Kold (Cold)
• Sød (Sweet)
• Sjov (Fun)
• Hurtig (Fast)

 

Forms of Danish Adjectives

Danish adjectives, like in many other languages, can take different forms based on gender, number, and definiteness. Here are the main forms of adjectives in Danish:

 

1. Gender Agreement

Danish nouns are classified into two genders: common (en-words) and neuter (et-words). Adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify. For example:

• Common Gender: En smuk blomst (A beautiful flower)
• Neuter Gender: Et stort hus (A big house)

 

2. Number Agreement

Adjectives also need to agree with the number of the noun. Whether the noun is singular or plural, the adjective must match. For instance:

• Singular: En grøn bil (A green car)
• Plural: Grønne biler (Green cars)

 

3. Definiteness

Danish adjectives can change depending on whether the noun is definite or indefinite. When a definite article (“den”, “det”, or “de”) is used before the noun, the adjective takes the definite form:

• Indefinite: En gammel bog (An old book)
• Definite: Den gamle bog (The old book)

 

Usage of Danish Adjectives

Adjectives in Danish are versatile and can be used in various ways to modify nouns and convey specific meanings. Here are some common uses of adjectives in Danish sentences:

 

1. Descriptive Adjectives

The primary role of adjectives is to describe or provide more information about nouns. This can include characteristics such as size, color, shape, and more. For example:

• En sød kat (A cute cat)
• Et højt bjerg (A tall mountain)

 

2. Comparative and Superlative Forms

Danish adjectives can be used to compare things by creating comparative and superlative forms. This allows you to indicate degrees of comparison:

• Stærkere (Stronger)
• Stærkest (Strongest)

 

3. Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives like “denne” (this), “den” (that), and “det” (that) are used to point out specific nouns and provide additional information:

• Denne bog (This book)
• Det hus (That house)

 

4. Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives indicate ownership or possession. They are used to show that something belongs to someone or something:

• Min hund (My dog)
• Deres biler (Their cars)

 

See also the following articles:

• List of Adjectives
• 100 Adjectives