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Adjectives That Change Shape
Adjectives add -t with neuter nouns and -e in the plural / after 'the'.
If you remember nothing else
- •Base form with en/ei nouns: 'en stor bil'.
- •Add -t with neuter (et) nouns: 'et stort hus'.
- •Add -e in plural and after 'the'/this/my: 'store biler', 'den store bilen'.
The three shapes
An adjective has three endings to juggle: the base form, a neuter -t form, and a plural/definite -e form. The good news: it's just two extra letters to track.
en stor bil
a big car (base, masc/fem)
et stort hus
a big house (neuter -t)
store biler
big cars (plural -e)
The definite ('the') always takes -e
When the noun is definite (the / this / my / that), the adjective takes -e regardless of gender, and you typically add 'den/det/de' in front. This is called the 'double definite'.
den store bilen
the big car
det store huset
the big house
de store bilene
the big cars
After 'er' (to be) it agrees too
Predicative adjectives (after 'er') still agree in gender and number with the subject.
Bilen er stor.
The car is big. (masc)
Huset er stort.
The house is big. (neuter -t)
Bilene er store.
The cars are big. (plural -e)
Quick check
3 questions. Get them right to lock in the lesson.