køn

See also: Appendix:Variations of "kon"

Danish

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [ˈkʰœnˀ]

Etymology 1

From Old Norse kyn (“kin”), from Proto-Germanic *kunją (“kin, descent”). Cognate with Swedish kön, Norwegian Bokmål kjønn, and English kin.

Noun

køn n (singular definite kønnet, plural indefinite køn)

  1. sex (the biological division in male and female individuals)
  2. gender (the social identity of male, female or other)
  3. (grammar) gender (division of nouns and adjectives etc. into classes)
  4. private parts, genitals
Usage notes

If a gender/sex distinction is desired, it must be introduced explicitly, through modifiers such as psykologisk (“psychological”), biologisk (“biological”) or tildelt (“assigned”).

Declension
Declension of køn
neuter
gender		 Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative køn kønnet køn kønnene
genitive køns kønnets køns kønnenes

Etymology 2

From Old Norse kœnn (“skilled, capable”), from Proto-Germanic *kōniz (“clever”). Cognate with English keen and German kühn (“daring”).

Adjective

køn

  1. pretty
  2. good-looking
  3. (ironic) nice, fine
    Det er da en køn situation du har rodet os ind i!
    What a fine situation you have gotten us tangled into!
    • 2016, Bo Green Jensen, En afgrund af frihed, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN:
      De var et kønt par egoister.
      They were a fine pair of egoists.
    • 2015, James Fenimore Cooper, Pionererne: eller Susquehannahs kilder, Klim →ISBN. Translated from English by Gerd Have.
      “Det var da en køn sammensværgelse!
      What a fine conspiracy!
    • 2015, C. S. Lewis, Narnia 1 - Troldmandens nevø, Gyldendal A/S →ISBN. Translated from English by Niels Søndergaard.
      »Det var da en køn redelighed for dem, hvis de ikke kunne komme tilbage!«
      »That would be quite unfortunate for them, if they couldn't get back!«
    • 2015, Carin Gerhardsen, Hendes iskolde øjne, Art People, →ISBN:
      “Du er da en køn mor. Ude at knalde rundt hele weekenden ...
      “Some mother you are. Out fucking all weekend ...
Inflection
Inflection of køn
Positive Comparative Superlative
Indefinte common singular køn kønnere kønnest2
Indefinite neuter singular kønt kønnere kønnest2
Plural kønne kønnere kønnest2
Definite attributive1 kønne kønnere kønneste
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

References
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