In the Danish language, expressing agreement is a fundamental part of daily communication, and the adjective enig (along with its inflections enige and enigt) is the cornerstone of this concept. Derived from the root word en (meaning “one”), enig literally translates to “of one mind” or “united.” When two or more people share the same opinion, perspective, or conclusion, they are enig. However, mastering this adjective requires a clear understanding of its grammatical gender rules, its prepositional pairings, and its idiomatic versatility in both formal and informal contexts.
Single or plural?
To use enig correctly, one must first navigate Danish adjective declension. When describing a singular, common-gender noun or functioning as a predicative adjective (after verbs like at være—to be), the base form enig is used. For example, if a man and a woman share a perspective, you would say, Han er enig (He is in agreement) or Hun er enig (She is in agreement). When describing plural subjects, regardless of gender, the adjective takes an -e ending: De er enige (They are in agreement). For neuter singular nouns, it takes a -t: Et enigt folk (A united people).
To agree with a person
When you agree with a person, you use med. For instance, if your friend expresses a dislike for rainy Mondays, you can reply, Jeg er enig med dig (I agree with you). Similarly, in a workplace setting, an employee might say, Jeg er helt enig med chefen (I completely agree with the boss). If multiple colleagues share a mutual consensus, you would pluralize the adjective: De ansatte er enige med ledelsen (The employees are in agreement with management).
Agreeing on a topic
Conversely, when you agree on a topic, decision, or plan, you must use the preposition om. For example, if a family is planning a vacation and everyone wants to go to Italy, they might say, Vi er enige om rejsemålet (We agree on the destination). In political discourse, parties often reach a compromise, leading to headlines such as: Politikerne er enige om finansloven (The politicians agree on the finance act). Another common everyday example is time management: Kan vi blive enige om klokken ti? (Can we agree on ten o’clock?).
Sometimes, both prepositions appear in the same sentence to express total harmony between parties regarding a specific subject. For example, Jeg er enig med dig om det spørgsmål translates to “I agree with you on that question.”
Strong agreement
Beyond basic agreement, enig is frequently paired with intensifying adverbs. To show strong agreement, Danes often use fuldstændig (completely), helt (totally), or stedse (ever/always). You might enthusiastically tell a colleague, Jeg er fuldstændig enig! (I completely agree!). On the other hand, if you have reservations, you can use qualifiers like delvist (partially) or ret (quite): Jeg er delvist enig i din betragtning (I partially agree with your observation—note that i can occasionally substitute om when referring to viewpoints or considerations).
Not agreeing
In negative contexts, adding the adverb ikke (not) reverses the meaning, though Danes also have a dedicated antonym, uenig (disagreeing). Instead of saying Jeg er ikke enig med dig, a native speaker might naturally say Jeg er uenig med dig (I disagree with you). Just like its root, uenig inflects into uenige for plurals (De er uenige om strategien – They disagree on the strategy).
Looking to improve your Danish skills – or passing PD2/PD3? Learn more about Danish lessons here!
