01
der Däne
Dane
A male citizen of Denmark or a male person who comes from Denmark.
example
Mein neuer Kollege ist ein Däne und kommt aus Kopenhagen.
My new colleague is a Dane and comes from Copenhagen.
der Däne
Dane
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Meanings
Usage tips
N-declension
'Der Däne' (the Dane) belongs to the N-declension. This means that the word takes the ending '-n' in all cases except the nominative singular. This is an important rule for many masculine nouns that refer to living beings.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe gestern mit dem Dänen gesprochen.
I spoke with the Dane yesterday.
Word family
The word 'Däne' (Dane) is part of a word family. It is derived from the country 'Dänemark' (Denmark) and is related to the adjective 'dänisch' (Danish).
EXAMPLE
Die dänische Flagge ist rot und weiß.
The Danish flag is red and white.
Use without an article
When you state a person's nationality like a profession or characteristic, you can leave out the article. The subject then stands with the verb 'sein' (to be).
EXAMPLE
Mein Nachbar ist Däne.
My neighbor is Danish.
Compare with
Däne vs dänisch
Danish
'dänisch' and 'der Däne' both have to do with Denmark. But 'dänisch' is an adjective and describes things, people, culture, or language: 'ein dänisches Lied' (a Danish song), 'dänisches Essen' (Danish food). As a language, 'Dänisch' is capitalized. 'der Däne' is a noun and means a male person from Denmark. The words can be confused because in German you need different forms for language, origin, and a person. Practical tip: use 'dänisch' for qualities, and 'der Däne' for a man from Denmark.
Däne
Der neue Mitarbeiter ist Däne und spricht sehr gut Deutsch.
The new employee is Danish and speaks German very well.
dänisch
Im Kurs lernen wir heute ein dänisches Lied.
In the course, we are learning a Danish song today.
In real life
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