How to form the Danish participle & list of 99 participles

Danish participles: Unlocking the essence of Danish grammar

In the colorful tapestry of the Danish language, participles play a pivotal role, guiding learners through the complexities of verb tenses and sentence structures. In this guide, we will delve into the world of Danish participles, shedding light on their significance and application. Whether you’re a novice in Danish or looking to refine your language skills, understanding participles is essential. Let’s embark on this linguistic journey, deciphering the intricacies of Danish participles.

Understanding Danish participles

The linguistic essence of participles

Before we dive into the nuances of Danish participles, let’s unravel the fundamental concept of participles in linguistic terms. Participles are versatile word forms that often serve as a bridge between verbs and adjectives. In Danish, there are two main types of participles: past participles and present participles.

Past participles: unveiling Danish verb forms

Past participles in Danish are instrumental in constructing perfect tenses and passive voice. Understanding their formation is crucial for effective communication. While Danish is generally known for its regular verb conjugation, it’s important to note the existence of irregular past participles. These irregularities add a layer of complexity to Danish verb forms, making them both challenging and intriguing.

Present Participles: the dynamic component

Present participles, on the other hand, add a dynamic dimension to the Danish language. These participles are created by adding the suffix “-ende” to the infinitive form of the verb. Danish present participles are versatile and find application in various sentence constructions, offering nuances and richness to your language skills.

Now, let’s explore the formation and utilization of past and present participles in more detail, unlocking their secrets in Danish grammar.

How to form the Danish Past Participle

Forming the past participle in Danish is relatively straightforward, especially for regular verbs. Here are the steps to create the past participle:

Identify the Infinitive Form: Start with the infinitive form of the verb. This is the base form of the verb that you’d find in a dictionary. For example, let’s use the verb “at spise” (to eat).
Remove the “-e” Ending: In most cases, you’ll remove the “-e” ending from the infinitive form. For our example verb “at spise,” you remove the “-e,” leaving you with “spis.”
Add the Appropriate Ending: Depending on the gender and number of the subject in your sentence, you’ll add the appropriate ending to the base form. There are three possible endings:
- -t: Used for neuter gender and singular subjects.
- -t/-d: Used for common gender and singular subjects.
- -e: Used for plural subjects, regardless of gender.

Here are examples of forming the past participle for the verb “at spise” (to eat):

Jeg har spist (I have eaten) – Common gender, singular subject.
Det har spist (It has eaten) – Neuter gender, singular subject.
De har spist (They have eaten) – Plural subject.

It’s important to note that while many Danish verbs follow this regular pattern, there are irregular verbs that don’t adhere to these rules. In those cases, you’ll need to memorize the past participle forms individually.

Additionally, Danish past participles are used in various tenses, including the present perfect, past perfect, and passive voice constructions, adding depth and context to sentences.

List of 99 Danish participles

Please find a list 99 Danish participles underneath together with their infinitive and English translation. Easily search and filter them all using the box above it.

99 Danish past participles

Danish Verb	English Translation	Past Participle
At åbne	To open	Åbnet
At arbejde	To work	Arbejdet
At bage	To bake	Bagt
At besøge	To visit	Besøgt
At betale	To pay	Betalt
At blande	To mix	Blandet
At blive	To become	Bleven
At børste	To brush	Børstet
At brænde	To burn	Brændt
At bruge	To use	Brugt
At bryde	To break	Brudt
At bygge	To build	Bygget
At cykle	To bike	Cyklet
At danse	To dance	Danset
At drikke	To drink	Drukket
At drikke kaffe	To drink coffee	Drukket kaffe
At drikke te	To drink tea	Drukket te
At drikke vand	To drink water	Drukket vand
At drømme	To dream	Drømt
At eksaminere	To examine	Eksamineret
At elske	To love	Elsket
At få	To get	Fået
At finde	To find	Fundet
At flytte	To move	Flyttet
At forstå	To understand	Forstået
At gå	To go	Gået
At gå i skole	To go to school	Gået i skole
At give	To give	Givet
At gøre	To do/make	Gjort
At græde	To cry	Grædt
At grine	To laugh	Grinet
At have	To have	Havde
At hoppe	To jump	Hoppet
At høre	To hear	Hørt
At hugge	To chop	Hugget
At hvile	To rest	Hvilet
At invitere	To invite	Inviteret
At kalde	To call	Kaldt
At knuse	To crush	Knust
At købe	To buy	Købt
At koge	To boil	Kogt
At komme	To come	Kommet
At kunne	To be able to	Kunnet
At kysse	To kiss	Kysset
At lære	To learn	Lært
At læse	To read	Læst
At lave	To make/do	Lavet
At lave mad	To cook	Lavet mad
At le	To smile	Lænet
At leve	To live	Levet
At ligge	To lie	Ligget
At løbe	To run	Løbet
At lukke	To close	Lukket
At male	To paint	Malet
At møde	To meet	Mødt
At ødelægge	To destroy	Ødelagt
At omfavne	To hug	Omfavnet
At ønske	To wish	Ønsket
At rejse	To travel	Rejst
At reparere	To repair	Repareret
At rive	To grate	Revet
At røre	To touch	Rørt
At se	To see	Set
At servere	To serve	Serveret
At sidde	To sit	Sidet
At sige	To say	Sagt
At skænke	To pour	Skænket
At skære	To cut	Skåret
At skrælle	To peel	Skrællet
At skrive	To write	Skrevet
At skulle	To must/should	Skullet
At slå	To hit	Slået
At smage	To taste	Smagt
At smuldre	To crumble	Smuldret
At sove	To sleep	Sovet
At sparke	To kick	Sparket
At spise	To eat	Spist
At spise aftensmad	To have dinner	Spist aftensmad
At spise frokost	To have lunch	Spist frokost
At spise morgenmad	To have breakfast	Spist morgenmad
At spørge	To ask	Spurgt
At stå	To stand	Stået
At stege	To fry	Stegt
At studere	To study	Studeret
At svare	To answer	Svaret
At svømme	To swim	Svømmet
At synes	To think	Syntes
At synge	To sing	Sunget
At tage	To take	Taget
At tale	To speak	Talt
At tegne	To draw	Tegnet
At være	To be	Været
At vaske	To wash	Vasket
At vente	To wait	Ventet
At vide	To know	Vidst
At ville	To want	Villet

How to form the Danish Present Participle

Forming the present participle in Danish is relatively straightforward. Present participles are used to describe ongoing actions or characteristics and are created by adding the suffix “-ende” to the infinitive form of the verb. Here are the steps to form the Danish present participle:

Identify the Infinitive Form: Start with the infinitive form of the verb. This is the base form of the verb that you’d find in a dictionary. For example, let’s use the verb “at tale” (to speak).
Add the “-ende” Suffix: Append the “-ende” suffix to the infinitive form. For our example verb “at tale,” you add “-ende” to create “tale + ende = talende” (speaking).
Adjust for Gender and Number: Unlike the past participle, the present participle does not change based on the gender or number of the subject in the sentence. It remains the same for all subjects.

Here are examples of forming the Danish present participle for the verb “at tale” (to speak):

Jeg er talende (I am speaking).
Du er talende (You are speaking).
Han/Hun/Den/Det er talende (He/She/It is speaking).
Vi er talende (We are speaking).
I er talende (You are speaking, plural).
De er talende (They are speaking).

The Danish present participle is versatile and can be used in various sentence constructions to indicate ongoing actions, characteristics, or as part of compound tenses. It’s an essential element in Danish grammar and language structure.

In hope this information will help you on your Danish language learning journey. Reach out if you have any questions!

Other guides about Danish language:

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