noget

Noget is a Danish indefinite pronoun and determiner used to refer to an unspecified thing or amount. In English it corresponds to “something” or “some.” As a pronoun, noget can stand on its own to refer to an unspecified object or matter. As a determiner, it precedes a noun to signal an unspecified quantity, roughly meaning “some” or “a bit of.”

Common uses include: Jeg har noget at fortælle. (I have something to tell.) Har du noget mælk? (Do you have any milk?) Der er noget galt. (There is something wrong.) These examples show how noget introduces or substitutes for an uncertain element.

In negative clauses, noget often expresses “nothing” or “not anything.” For example: Jeg har ikke noget at sige. (I have nothing to say.) This negating pattern is a standard part of Danish grammar, and noget contrasts with the positive use where it introduces a thing or amount.

Noget also features in common phrases and constructions, such as noget nyt? (anything new?) and noget andet (something else). A well-known proverb using the word is Noget er bedre end ingenting, meaning “Something is better than nothing.”

Comparison with related forms helps clarify usage. Nogen refers to people (someone), nogle to some people/things (plural), while noget is typically used for objects or matters and can function as a determiner with nouns or as a stand-alone pronoun. In everyday Danish, noget is frequent and versatile, capable of expressing unspecified content across spoken and written language.