Bedeutung
Something that does not happen often.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Danes often use this phrase with a bit of irony or sarcasm, especially when talking about public transport or the weather. The concept of 'understatement' is strong across the region. Calling something a 'rarity' is often a high form of praise without being too 'loud'. In a flat hierarchy, using neutral phrases like this helps in giving feedback without sounding overly critical or emotional. You will often see this phrase in captions for photos of rare nature events or unusual family gatherings.
The 'At' Rule
Always remember to put a comma before 'at' when using this phrase to introduce a sentence.
Don't skip the 'en'
Unlike English where you can say 'It is rare', in Danish you must say 'Det er EN sjældenhed' if you use the noun.
Bedeutung
Something that does not happen often.
The 'At' Rule
Always remember to put a comma before 'at' when using this phrase to introduce a sentence.
Don't skip the 'en'
Unlike English where you can say 'It is rare', in Danish you must say 'Det er EN sjældenhed' if you use the noun.
Sound like a native
Use this phrase when complaining about the train or the weather to instantly sound more Danish.
Understatement
Danes love to understate things. This phrase is perfect for that.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing word to complete the phrase.
Det er en ________, at han kommer til tiden.
We need the noun form 'sjældenhed' after 'en'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Select the correct option:
'Sjældenhed' is a common gender noun and requires the article 'en'.
Complete the dialogue with the most natural response.
A: 'Jeg har aldrig set dig drikke kaffe før!' B: 'Nej, ________.'
This is the most natural way to acknowledge that something is a rare occurrence.
Match the situation to the phrase.
You see snow in Denmark in the middle of July. What do you say?
Snow in July is a very rare event, making 'sjældenhed' the perfect word.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Where to use 'Det er en sjældenhed'
Vejr
- • Sol i december
- • Sne i maj
Opførsel
- • Komme for tidligt
- • Rydde op
Ting
- • Gamle mønter
- • Hvide elge
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenDet er en ________, at han kommer til tiden.
We need the noun form 'sjældenhed' after 'en'.
Select the correct option:
'Sjældenhed' is a common gender noun and requires the article 'en'.
A: 'Jeg har aldrig set dig drikke kaffe før!' B: 'Nej, ________.'
This is the most natural way to acknowledge that something is a rare occurrence.
You see snow in Denmark in the middle of July. What do you say?
Snow in July is a very rare event, making 'sjældenhed' the perfect word.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
12 FragenYes, but 'Det er sjældent' is an adverbial phrase. 'Det er en sjældenhed' is more emphatic and sounds more like a complete observation.
Yes, all nouns ending in '-hed' are common gender (en-ord) in Danish.
You can say 'Han er en sjældenhed' to mean he is a rare type of person (usually a compliment), but it's more common for events.
The plural is 'sjældenheder', but it is mostly used for physical objects like rare books or coins.
It is neutral. You can use it with friends, at work, or in writing.
Place your tongue behind your lower teeth and make a sound like the 'th' in 'this'.
Yes, adding 'stor' (great/big) adds emphasis to how rare it is.
Not quite. 'Unikt' means there is only one. 'Sjældenhed' means there are very few.
Yes, very often to describe market trends or rare errors.
Yes, it is neutral. It can be a rare mistake or a rare success.
The opposite is 'almindeligt' (common) or 'hverdagskost' (commonplace).
In standard Danish, the 'd' in 'sjælden' is silent. It sounds like 'sjællen'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Det sker sjældent
similarIt happens rarely
En sjælden gang
similarA rare time
Hører til sjældenhederne
specialized formBelongs to the rarities
Det er hverdagskost
contrastIt is everyday food (commonplace)
Enestående
similarUnique / One of a kind
