broen

Broen is the definite form of the Danish noun bro, meaning “the bridge.” In Danish, bro refers to a bridge in general, while broen is used to denote a specific, known, or contextually given bridge, especially in names and everyday references.

Usage and examples: The form broen appears in running text when a particular bridge is being referenced. In compound names, the element broen is often preserved, as in Storebæltsbroen, the Great Belt Bridge, which refers to the bridge portion of the Great Belt Fixed Link. Danish signage, maps, and media may similarly employ broen to indicate “the bridge” when the identity is clear from context.

Origin and cognates: Bro is a Germanic word with cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Swedish bro and Norwegian bru, though each language attaches its own definite suffixes. The Danish definite suffix -en is a standard form for masculine singular nouns in their definite form.

See also: Storebæltsbroen, Øresundsbron. These are examples of Danish-Nordic bridges whose names include the definite form of the noun for “bridge,” illustrating how the word appears in official and common usage.