uddannede

Uddannede is a Danish word with several related uses connected to the verb uddanne, meaning to educate. As a verb form, uddannede is the simple past tense (preterite) of uddanne, used to describe an act of educating that has been completed in the past. For example: “Han uddannede mange elever i løbet af året.”

As an adjective and, in some contexts, as a noun, uddannede conveys the sense of being educated. The past participle of uddanne is traditionally uddannet, which is used for singular references (e.g., “en uddannet ingeniør”). The form uddannede appears in plural or predicative constructions to describe groups or individuals who are educated, as in “uddannede mennesker” or “de uddannede.” In Danish, the phrase “de uddannede” is commonly used to mean “the educated (ones).”

Usage notes and nuance: uddannede emphasizes completion of education and is often used in contexts contrasting educated and uneducated groups. It can be used to refer to graduates or people with formal training, depending on context, though terms like uddannelse (education) and kandidat, ingeniør, lærer, or universitetsuddannelse are more specific when naming qualifications.

Etymology: the word is derived from uddanne, formed with the prefix ud- (out, through) plus the root danne (to form), reflecting the historical sense of shaping or forming a person through education.

See also: uddannelse, uddannet, uddannelsessystemet, education in Denmark.