A Simplified Grammar of the Danish Language/Part II/Adjectives

by E. C. Otté

Adjectives. (Tillægsord.)

Adjectives must agree in number and gender, both with the noun which they qualify, and with that to which they stand in the relation of predicates; as, et lidet Hus, 'a little house;' Vejen var hende for lang, 'the way was too long for her;' de söde små Börn, 'the dear (sweet) little children!' Generalens Værelser vare ikke så store som mine, 'the General's rooms were not so large as mine.'

The plural adjectives få, 'few,' mange, 'many,' alle, 'all,' admit of being used with a singular verb, and without the adjective-article; as, der kommer få Mand, 'a few men (man) are coming;' Klokken er mange, 'it is late, (the clock is many);' alle gang, 'every (all) time.'

Al, alt (n.), 'all,' begge, 'both,' precede the noun directly, without the adjective-article, while they require the affix-article to be appended to the noun; as, al Verden, 'all the world;' alt Græsset, 'all the grass;' Begge Pigerne, 'both the girls.'

Hel, 'all,' 'whole,' may be used with either article; as, hele Huset, or det hele Hus, 'the whole house.'

Adjectives may be used as, and in the place of, nouns, the latter being understood; as, hun ælskede den Gode, 'she loved the good (man, person);' De Stolte, 'the proud! (people).'

Some adjectives, expressive of worth, or obligation, follow the objective noun, instead of standing near the subject-noun; as, Præsten er den Ære værdig, 'the clergyman is worthy of the honour;' Soldaten er Generalen intet skyldig, 'the soldier owes the General nothing.'

Adjectives follow the noun when used as titular distinctions; as Knud den store, 'Canute the Great;' Karl den femte, 'Charles the Fifth.'

When adjectives are used to represent nouns they follow the same rules as the latter in regard to the genitive, which they form by adding s; as, de Godes Handlinger og de Slettes, 'the actions of the good and the bad.' An apostrophe is inadmissible here, as in the case of nouns, although in some names, more especially when they are of foreign origin, it is occasionally used, as Darius's.