mindre en 30 segundos
- Mindre is the Danish word for 'smaller' or 'less'.
- It is the comparative form of 'lille' (small) and does not change its ending.
- It is used for physical size, uncountable amounts, and to mean 'minor'.
- Danes often use it to soften statements or provide polite nuances.
The Danish word mindre is a versatile adjective and adverb that primarily serves as the comparative form of lille (small) or få (few/little). In its most fundamental sense, it translates to 'smaller' or 'less' in English. However, its application in Danish is significantly broader than its English counterparts, often bridging the gap between physical size, abstract quantity, and degrees of importance or intensity. When a Danish speaker says something is mindre, they are placing it on a scale of comparison, indicating that the subject possesses a lower magnitude of a specific quality than a previously mentioned or implied reference point.
- Physical Dimension
- When comparing the physical size of objects, mindre is the direct equivalent of 'smaller'. For example, 'en mindre bil' refers to a car that is smaller than another car or smaller than the average vehicle. It is essential to note that mindre does not change based on the gender of the noun it modifies, making it grammatically simpler than its positive form lille.
Denne skærm er mindre end den anden, men billedkvaliteten er bedre.
- Quantitative Measurement
- In the context of uncountable nouns, mindre functions as 'less'. It describes a lower volume of something like water, time, or money. Interestingly, while English strictly distinguishes between 'less' (uncountable) and 'fewer' (countable), Danish uses mindre for uncountable and færre for countable items. However, in casual speech, you might occasionally hear mindre used where færre is technically required, though this is frowned upon in formal writing.
Beyond size and quantity, mindre carries a semantic weight of 'minor' or 'insignificant'. In professional settings, a 'mindre problem' is a minor issue that doesn't require immediate alarm. It is also used as an adverb to modify verbs or adjectives, meaning 'to a lesser extent'. For instance, 'det regner mindre nu' (it is raining less now). This versatility makes it one of the most frequently used comparative words in the Danish language, appearing in everything from weather reports to financial statements. Understanding the nuance between its physical and abstract uses is key to mastering A1 and A2 level Danish communication.
Using mindre correctly requires understanding its role as an invariable comparative adjective. Unlike most Danish adjectives, which must agree in gender (common vs. neuter) and number (singular vs. plural) with the noun they describe, mindre remains the same regardless of the noun's properties. This makes it a 'safe' word for learners who are still struggling with noun genders.
- Comparative Structures
- The most common sentence pattern involves the word end (than). The formula is: [Subject] + [Verb] + mindre + end + [Object]. For example: 'Min hund er mindre end din hund' (My dog is smaller than your dog). This structure is identical to the English 'smaller than'.
Vi har mindre tid til rådighed i dag end i går.
Another sophisticated use of mindre is in the 'the... the...' construction, which in Danish uses jo... jo... or jo... des.... For example, 'Jo mindre, jo bedre' (The smaller/less, the better). This is a common idiomatic way to express preference for efficiency or minimalism. In this context, mindre acts as a pivot for the entire sentence's logic.
- Attributive Usage
- When placed before a noun, mindre often translates to 'minor' or 'small-scale'. 'En mindre brand' (A minor fire) or 'en mindre formue' (a small fortune). Notice how in the latter example, 'en mindre formue' actually implies a significant amount of money in a sarcastic or hyperbolic way, similar to the English 'a small fortune'.
Finally, mindre can be used as a negation or softener. 'Det er mindre sandsynligt' (It is less likely) is a more polite or precise way of saying something probably won't happen compared to a flat 'nej'. It allows for nuance in debate and conversation, which is a hallmark of Danish social interaction where directness is often tempered with precise qualifiers.
In daily life in Denmark, mindre is ubiquitous. You will hear it in grocery stores, on the news, and in casual social gatherings. Its usage spans from the highly technical to the extremely informal. Because Danes value precision and often prefer understated language, mindre is the perfect tool for making comparisons without being overly dramatic.
- In the Supermarket (Netto, Føtex, Coop)
- You might see signs saying 'Mindre plastik, mere genbrug' (Less plastic, more recycling). When weighing vegetables, a customer might say, 'Jeg skal bruge en lidt mindre pose' (I need a slightly smaller bag). It is the go-to word for discussing portions and packaging sizes.
Kan jeg få en mindre portion, tak?
In the Danish workplace, mindre is used to manage expectations and describe tasks. A manager might describe a project as 'en mindre opgave' (a minor task) to signal that it shouldn't take too much time. Conversely, in financial reports (TV2 Business or Børsen), you will constantly hear about 'mindre overskud' (smaller profit) or 'mindre vækst' (less growth), where the word takes on a more serious, analytical tone.
- Weather and Environment
- Meteorologists on DR1 often use mindre to describe shifts in weather patterns. 'Der kommer mindre regn i eftermiddag' (There will be less rain this afternoon). It is also central to discussions about climate change, such as 'mindre CO2-udledning' (less CO2 emission).
Socially, the phrase 'ikke mindre end...' (nothing less than...) is used for emphasis. 'Det var ikke mindre end fantastisk!' (It was nothing less than fantastic!). Here, the word is used to create a superlative effect by negating the comparative, a common rhetorical device in Danish storytelling and praise.
For English speakers, the primary pitfall when using mindre involves the distinction between 'smaller' and 'fewer'. In English, we have three words: smaller (size), less (uncountable amount), and fewer (countable quantity). In Danish, mindre covers both 'smaller' and 'less', but it should not technically cover 'fewer'.
- The 'Færre' vs. 'Mindre' Trap
- Mistake: 'Der er mindre folk i dag' (There are less people today). Correct: 'Der er færre folk i dag'. Because people can be counted, færre is the correct comparative. However, this is a mistake even native speakers make, much like 'less' vs 'fewer' in English. To sound educated, stick to færre for countable items.
Fejl: Jeg har mindre æbler end dig. (I have less apples than you.)
Another common error is trying to inflect mindre. Learners often think that because the positive form lille changes to små in the plural, mindre should also change. It does not. 'De mindre huse' (the smaller houses) is correct. There is no such word as 'mindrer' or 'mindre'. The comparative form is stable and unchanging.
- Confusion with 'Mindst'
- Learners sometimes use the superlative mindst (smallest/least) when they only mean to compare two things. Remember: mindre is for comparing two things (or a thing to a general standard), while mindst is for the extreme end of a group of three or more.
Finally, avoid using mindre as a direct translation for 'small' in its positive sense. You cannot say 'Det er en mindre hund' if you just mean 'It is a small dog' without implying it is smaller than something else. Use lille for the basic adjective and reserve mindre for comparisons.
While mindre is a workhorse of the Danish language, there are several alternatives that can add precision or a different tone to your speech. Depending on whether you are talking about size, importance, or quantity, you might choose a more specific term.
- Færre (Fewer)
- As mentioned, færre is the essential alternative for countable nouns. Use it for people, books, days, and cars. 'Færre biler på vejen' (Fewer cars on the road).
- Ringere (Poorer/Lesser)
- If you are comparing quality rather than size or quantity, ringere is a powerful alternative. It implies that something is of lower value or quality. 'En ringere kvalitet' (A lesser quality).
Denne løsning er ringere end den vi havde før.
In more formal or academic Danish, you might encounter words like begrænset (limited) or minimal. These words carry a more specific meaning than the broad mindre. If you want to say the impact was small, you could say 'en begrænset effekt' (a limited effect) instead of 'en mindre effekt'.
- Små (Small - Plural)
- Don't confuse the comparative mindre with the plural positive små. 'Mange små ting' (Many small things) describes the nature of the things, while 'Mange mindre ting' suggests they are smaller than some other things.
Finally, in the context of age, yngre (younger) is often a better choice than mindre, although mindre is sometimes used to describe 'smaller' (younger) siblings in a family context. 'Min mindre bror' is common, though 'min lillebror' is the standard term.
How Formal Is It?
"Virksomheden oplevede et mindre fald i omsætningen."
"Jeg vil gerne have en mindre kop kaffe."
"Det gør mindre, vi finder en løsning."
"Se, den lille mus er meget mindre end katten!"
"Han er helt mindre, mand!"
Dato curioso
The word 'mindre' is grammatically 'frozen'. While most Danish adjectives change for gender and number, 'mindre' has stayed the same for centuries, making it one of the easiest adjectives for learners to use correctly.
Guía de pronunciación
- Pronouncing the 'd'. In Danish, 'nd' usually results in a long 'n' sound, and the 'd' is silent.
- Making the 'i' sound like 'ee'. It should be a short 'e' sound.
- Over-pronouncing the final 'r'. It should be very soft and vocalic.
- Confusing the pronunciation with 'minder' (memories).
- Stressing the second syllable.
Nivel de dificultad
Very easy to recognize as it looks like 'minor' or 'minder'.
Easy because it is invariable, but requires knowing when to use 'færre' instead.
The silent 'd' and soft 'r' can be tricky for beginners.
Commonly used and usually clear in context.
Qué aprender después
Requisitos previos
Aprende después
Avanzado
Gramática que debes saber
Comparative Adjectives
Mindre is the comparative of lille. Most comparatives end in -ere (e.g., hurtigere), but 'mindre' is irregular.
Invariability
Mindre does not add -e in the plural or change for neuter nouns. 'Et mindre hus' and 'To mindre huse'.
Countable vs Uncountable
Use 'mindre' for uncountable mass (vand, tid) and 'færre' for countable units (biler, huse).
Using 'end'
To compare two things, use 'end' after 'mindre'. 'A er mindre end B'.
Adverbial Use
Mindre can modify verbs. 'Han sover mindre end før'.
Ejemplos por nivel
Min bil er mindre.
My car is smaller.
Comparative adjective.
Huset er mindre end skolen.
The house is smaller than the school.
Using 'end' for comparison.
Jeg vil gerne have en mindre kage.
I would like a smaller cake.
Attributive use.
Er din taske mindre?
Is your bag smaller?
Question form.
Hunden er meget mindre.
The dog is much smaller.
Modified by 'meget'.
Det er et mindre bord.
It is a smaller table.
Used with 'et' (neuter noun).
Jeg spiser mindre nu.
I eat less now.
Adverbial use.
Min bror er mindre end mig.
My brother is smaller (younger) than me.
Comparing people.
Der er mindre mælk i glasset.
There is less milk in the glass.
Uncountable amount.
Jeg har mindre tid i dag.
I have less time today.
Abstract uncountable noun.
Det koster mindre end 100 kroner.
It costs less than 100 kroner.
Comparing values.
Kan du tale lidt mindre?
Can you speak a little less?
Adverbial usage with 'lidt'.
Vi bor i en mindre by.
We live in a smaller town.
Implicit comparison.
Denne opgave er mindre svær.
This task is less difficult.
Modifying an adjective.
Jeg vil have mindre sukker, tak.
I want less sugar, please.
Requesting a quantity.
Bussen er mindre end toget.
The bus is smaller than the train.
Comparing transportation.
Det er et mindre problem for os.
It is a minor problem for us.
Meaning 'minor'.
Jo mindre jeg ved, jo bedre.
The less I know, the better.
Correlative comparison.
Han er mindre interesseret nu.
He is less interested now.
Degrees of interest.
Der er mindre end fem kilometer tilbage.
There are less than five kilometers left.
Distance comparison.
Det er en mindre detalje i kontrakten.
It is a minor detail in the contract.
Professional context.
Vi bruger mindre strøm i år.
We are using less electricity this year.
Environmental context.
Han tjener mindre end sin kone.
He earns less than his wife.
Financial comparison.
Filmen var mindre god end forventet.
The movie was less good than expected.
Euphemism for 'not very good'.
Ikke desto mindre valgte han at gå.
Nevertheless, he chose to go.
Fixed phrase.
Det gør hverken fra eller mindre.
It makes no difference either way.
Idiomatic expression.
Hun har en mindre birolle i filmen.
She has a minor supporting role in the movie.
Specific professional term.
Det er mere eller mindre færdigt.
It is more or less finished.
Common idiom.
Mindre kan ikke gøre det.
Nothing less will do.
Idiomatic requirement.
Der er tale om en mindre justering.
We are talking about a minor adjustment.
Formal register.
Han er mindre end begejstret for idéen.
He is less than enthusiastic about the idea.
Understatement (Litotes).
Mindre end en uge efter skete det.
Less than a week later, it happened.
Temporal comparison.
Det var intet mindre end en genistreg.
It was nothing less than a stroke of genius.
Emphatic construction.
Risikoen er mindre, men stadig til stede.
The risk is smaller, but still present.
Nuanced assessment.
De mindre bemidlede i samfundet.
The less fortunate/wealthy in society.
Euphemistic formal phrase.
Det er en mindre væsentlig pointe.
It is a less significant point.
Academic nuance.
Mindre end som så kan det ikke beskrives.
It cannot be described as anything less than that.
Literary style.
Man må ikke lade sig nøje med mindre.
One must not settle for less.
Philosophical advice.
Der er mindre belæg for den teori.
There is less evidence for that theory.
Scientific register.
En mindre revolution fandt sted.
A minor revolution took place.
Historical metaphor.
Hendes bidrag var alt andet end mindre.
Her contribution was anything but minor.
Double negation/Emphasis.
Det er en sandhed med visse mindre modifikationer.
It is a truth with certain minor modifications.
Irony/Nuance.
Mindre end det fuldkomne er uacceptabelt.
Less than perfection is unacceptable.
Absolute statement.
I mindre grad end tidligere ses dette fænomen.
To a lesser extent than previously, this phenomenon is seen.
Formal analytical style.
Det var en mindre, men dog mærkbar, rystelse.
It was a minor, yet noticeable, tremor.
Precise descriptive style.
Uden mindre end total dedikation når man ikke målet.
Without nothing less than total dedication, one does not reach the goal.
Complex rhetorical structure.
En mindre hær af frivillige mødte op.
A minor army of volunteers showed up.
Metaphorical hyperbole.
Der findes ingen mindre udvej.
There is no lesser way out.
Fatalistic/Literary.
Colocaciones comunes
Frases Comunes
— The less/smaller, the better. Used to express a preference for simplicity.
Hvor meget bagage skal jeg tage med? Jo mindre, jo bedre.
— Neither more nor less / Exactly that.
Jeg vil have fem stykker, hverken mere eller mindre.
— Nothing less will suffice / It must be at least this much.
Vi skal bruge en million, mindre kan ikke gøre det.
— A small fortune. Often used ironically to mean a lot of money.
Bilen kostede en mindre formue.
Modismos y expresiones
— Approximately or almost. Used when something is nearly complete or true.
Projektet er mere eller mindre færdigt.
Neutral— Nevertheless or nonetheless. Used to introduce a contrasting point.
Det regnede, men ikke desto mindre gik vi en tur.
Formal— A polite way to say someone is not very smart.
Han virker en smule mindre begavet.
Informal/Euphemism— To make no difference at all.
Hans mening gør hverken fra eller mindre.
Neutral— Nothing short of. Used to emphasize a high quality.
Det var intet mindre end genialt.
Emphatic— Less than it appears or is said to be.
Problemet er mindre end som så.
Literary— Often used to dismiss a point in an argument.
Det er blot en mindre detalje.
NeutralPatrones de oraciones
[Noun] er mindre.
Min hund er mindre.
[Noun] er mindre end [Noun].
Katten er mindre end hunden.
Jeg har mindre [Uncountable Noun].
Jeg har mindre mælk.
Det er en mindre [Noun].
Det er en mindre detalje.
Jo mindre [Noun], jo bedre.
Jo mindre sukker, jo bedre.
Det er mere eller mindre [Adjective].
Det er mere eller mindre færdigt.
Ikke desto mindre
Familia de palabras
Sustantivos
Verbos
Adjetivos
Relacionado
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
Think of the English word 'MINor'. Both start with 'MIN-' and both refer to something smaller or less important. 'MINdre' is for 'MINor' things.
Asociación visual
Imagine a large box and a 'MINdre' (smaller) box inside it. The smaller box is 'MIN-dre' (mini-er).
Word Web
Desafío
Try to use 'mindre' three times today: once for a physical object, once for time, and once for an abstract idea like 'less difficult'.
Origen de la palabra
Derived from Old Norse 'minni', which comes from the Proto-Germanic *minniz. It is cognate with the English 'less' and 'minor', and the German 'minder'.
Significado original: The original meaning in Proto-Germanic related to something being smaller or of less value.
North Germanic / Indo-European.Contexto cultural
Be careful when using 'mindre' to describe people's intelligence or status, as it can be seen as patronizing.
English speakers often struggle with 'less' vs 'fewer'. In Danish, 'mindre' is much more common for 'less', but 'færre' is the proper word for 'fewer'.
Practica en la vida real
Contextos reales
Shopping
- Har I den i en mindre størrelse?
- Den er lidt mindre end jeg troede.
- Mindre plastik, tak.
- Findes der en mindre model?
Cooking
- Brug en mindre gryde.
- Tilsæt mindre salt.
- Skær kødet i mindre stykker.
- En mindre mængde vand.
Work
- Det er en mindre opgave.
- Vi har et mindre problem.
- Mindre snak, mere arbejde.
- En mindre justering af planen.
Weather
- Der kommer mindre vind i morgen.
- Mindre sol end i går.
- Mindre regn i Nordjylland.
- Temperaturen er en smule mindre (lower).
Family
- Min mindre bror.
- Vi er en mindre familie.
- Børnene er mindre nu.
- Et mindre hjem.
Inicios de conversación
"Synes du, at denne by er mindre end din hjemby?"
"Drikker du mere eller mindre kaffe end før?"
"Hvad er en mindre ting, der gør dig glad?"
"Er det bedre at have en mindre bil i byen?"
"Har du mindre fritid i denne uge?"
Temas para diario
Skriv om en gang, hvor du havde mindre tid, end du havde brug for.
Beskriv fordelene ved at bo i et mindre hus.
Hvad ville du gøre, hvis du havde mindre stress i dit liv?
Sammenlign to ting, du ejer. Hvilken er mindre, og hvorfor kan du lide den?
Reflektér over sætningen 'Jo mindre, jo bedre'.
Summary
Mindre is a versatile comparative word meaning both 'smaller' and 'less'. Remember that it is invariable (never changes form) and is technically used for uncountable amounts, while 'færre' is used for countable items. Example: 'En mindre bil' (A smaller car).
- Mindre is the Danish word for 'smaller' or 'less'.
- It is the comparative form of 'lille' (small) and does not change its ending.
- It is used for physical size, uncountable amounts, and to mean 'minor'.
- Danes often use it to soften statements or provide polite nuances.
Contenido relacionado
Esta palabra en otros idiomas
Más palabras de general
afbryde
B1To stop something from continuing
afbøje
B2To deflect or turn aside.
afgørende
B1Decisivo o crucial. Se usa para algo que determina el resultado final de una situación.
afholde
B2Organizar o llevar a cabo un evento formal como una reunión o elección.
afhængig
B1Determined or decided by something else
afkorte
B2To shorten or reduce in length.
afmærke
B2Marcar o delimitar una posición o ruta. 'Es necesario marcar la zona de obras para evitar accidentes.'
afrunde
B2To conclude or make complete.
afslutte
B1Finalizar o concluir una tarea o proceso de forma definitiva.
afsløre
B2Revelar o desvelar algo que estaba oculto. 'Ella reveló la verdad' y 'El monumento fue desvelado ante el público.'
