bindestreger

A bindestreg, also known as a hyphen, is a punctuation mark used to join words or parts of words. It is a short horizontal line. In Danish, bindestreger are used for several purposes. One common use is to create compound words, particularly when the first part of the compound word ends in a vowel and the second part begins with a vowel, or when clarity is needed to separate elements. For example, "gammel-gammel" or "skole-elev" might use a bindestreg to avoid confusion.

Bindestreger are also used to indicate prefixes that are not fully integrated into the word, such as in names or technical terms. This can occur with proper nouns, like "post-Grønlandsk," or with certain foreign borrowings. Furthermore, they are employed to break words at the end of a line of text to facilitate reading and maintain consistent line lengths. This syllabic division is a practical application of the mark. The correct usage of bindestreger is governed by the rules of Danish grammar and orthography.