Danish 12

Grammar Summary

1. Adjectives & Adverbs

Adjective Agreement (kongruens)

Adjectives must agree with the noun or subject they describe:

Key adjectives from this passage:

Exam tip: When an adjective is used as a predicate after er/bliver with an et- noun or “det”, it takes the -t form:

• det er sjovt at danse (det = neuter placeholder → -t form)
• det er pinligt for ham (same rule)
• det er sjældent, at… (sjældent used as predicate adjective/adverb)

Adverbs — Frequency Adverbs (Critical for Exam)

Frequency adverbs appear frequently as cloze-test items. Memorize them in order:

Exam tip: In a subordinate clause, frequency adverbs come before the finite verb:

• …at de næsten aldrig har tid ✓
• …at de aldrig siger nej ✓

Word Order of Adverbs

Other key adverbs from this passage:

• faktisk (actually) — han synes faktisk, det er sjovt
• heldigvis (fortunately) — heldigvis siger de ikke nej
• næsten (almost) — næsten aldrig
• ligesom (just like) — ligesom før de fik børn
• heller ikke (neither/not either) — det gør de heller ikke denne gang

2. Verbs — Forms & Tenses

Infinitive

Always with at: at danse, at lære, at passe, at hygge sig, at finde ud af

After modals — no “at”: hun vil prøve, han kan ikke danse, de vil finde

Present Tense (nutid) — stem + -r

Past Tense (datid)

Key irregular past forms from this passage:

Perfect Tense — har/er + past participle

• har + pp (most verbs): han har altid været dårlig, de har fundet en hobby
• er + pp (motion/change of state): de er kommet til danseskolen, de er blevet enige

Reflexive Verbs

Some verbs require sig (himself/herself/themselves):

3. Modal Verbs

Key Fixed Modal Expressions

Exam tip: vil gerne vs. gerne vil — both are correct; in subordinate clauses “gerne” shifts before the modal:

• Main: hun vil gerne komme
• Sub: …at hun gerne vil komme

4. Prepositions

Core Prepositions from This Passage

Tricky Prepositional Distinctions

“til” with activities/institutions (very common in Danish):

• gå til dans (go to dance class)
• gå til fodbold / svømning / yoga
• komme til festen

“på” vs. “i” for places:

• arbejde på fuld tid (full time)
• se i fjernsynet (on TV — note: Danish uses i not på)
• bo i nærheden (live nearby)

“om” as indirect question introducer:

• hun spørger om de vil hjælpe → she asks if/whether they will help

Fixed Prepositional Phrases (Must-Know)

Thomas og Lea er gift, og de arbejder begge to på fuld tid. De har 3 små børn og en travl hverdag, så det er sjældent, at de laver andet end at arbejde, lave husarbejde og passe børn.

begge to = both of them

travl = busy

sjældent = rarely

andet = anything else

end at = other than

passe børn = take care of children

Thomas and Lea are married, and they both work full time. They have 3 small children and a busy everyday life, so it is rarely that they do anything other than work, do housework and take care of children.

• why “sjældent” is used here?

In this context, “sjældent” is used to indicate that it is uncommon or infrequent for Thomas and Lea to do anything other than work, do housework, and take care of their children. It emphasizes that their busy lifestyle leaves them with little time for other activities.

Thomas og Lea har næsten aldrig noget tid, hvor de to er alene sammen, ligesom før de fik børn, og det er de kede af. De savner at lave noget sjovt uden deres børn, så de aftaler, at de vil finde en fælles hobby.

ligesom = just like

fik = got

• past tense of “få” (to get)

kede af = sad about

savner = miss

• at savne = to miss

sjovt = fun

aftaler = agree

fælles = common/shared

Thomas and Lea almost never have any time where they are alone together, just like before they got children, and they are sad about it. They miss doing something fun without their children, so they agree that they will find a common hobby.

• why “uden” is used here?

In this context, “uden” is used to indicate that Thomas and Lea want to do something fun without their children. It emphasizes that they want to have activities or hobbies that they can enjoy together as a couple, separate from their responsibilities as parents.

En aften ser Lea et danseprogram i fjernsynet. Hun foreslår Thomas, at de begynder til dans på en danseskole, for hun synes, det kunne være dejligt at lære at danse.

ser = sees

• at se = to see

foreslår = suggests

dejligt = nice/pleasant

One evening, Lea sees a dance program on television. She suggests to Thomas that they start dancing at a dance school, because she thinks it would be nice to learn how to dance.

• why “for” is used here?

In this context, “for” is used to introduce the reason or motivation behind Lea’s suggestion. It indicates that the reason she suggests starting to dance at a dance school is because she thinks it would be nice to learn how to dance. It provides an explanation for her suggestion.

Men Thomas synes ikke, det er nogen god idé, for han har altid været dårlig til at danse, og han har ikke lyst til at lære det nu.

lyst = desire/want

dårlig = bad

But Thomas does not think it is a good idea, because he has always been bad at dancing, and he does not want to learn it now.

• why “altid” is used here?

In this context, “altid” is used to indicate that Thomas has consistently been bad at dancing throughout his life. It emphasizes that his lack of dancing skills is not a recent development but has been a long-standing issue for him. This is part of the reason why he does not want to learn to dance now.

Men Lea vil så gerne prøve at gå til dans med Thomas, så han lover at tage med til en prøvetime på danseskolen, selvom han er lidt bange for, at det bliver pinligt for ham, fordi han ikke kan finde ud af at danse.

lover = promises

• at love = to promise

bange = afraid

pinligt = embarrassing

finde ud af = to figure out / to manage

But Lea really wants to try going to dance with Thomas, so he promises to go to a trial lesson at the dance school, even though he is a little afraid that it will be embarrassing for him because he cannot figure out how to dance.

• why “pinligt” is used here?

In this context, “pinligt” is used to describe Thomas’s fear of feeling embarrassed or self-conscious about his dancing skills. It emphasizes that he is concerned about how he will be perceived by others at the dance school due to his lack of dancing ability. This adds to his hesitation about trying out for the dance class.

Lea spørger sine forældre, om de vil passe børnene, mens hun og Thomas er til dans. De bor lige i nærheden, og de siger næsten aldrig nej, når hun beder dem om hjælp til at passe børnene. Det gør de heldigvis heller ikke denne gang.

forældre = parents

om = if/whether

mens = while

nærheden = nearby

siger = say

beder = asks

heldigvis = fortunately

heller ikke = neither

Lea asks her parents if they will take care of the children while she and Thomas are at dance. They live nearby, and they almost never say no when she asks them for help taking care of the children. Fortunately, they do not say no this time either.

• why “aldrig” is used here?

In this context, “aldrig” is used to indicate that Lea’s parents almost always say yes when she asks them for help taking care of the children. It emphasizes that it is very uncommon for them to refuse her requests for assistance, which is why they are able to help her and Thomas with childcare while they attend dance class.

Thomas er nervøs, da han og Lea kommer til danseskolen, for han er usikker og har mest lyst til at tage hjem igen. Men til sin store overraskelse synes han faktisk, det er sjovt at danse, og det betyder ikke så meget, at han ikke er god til det, fordi han hygger sig med Lea.

da = when

usikker = insecure/uncertain

overraskelse = surprise

faktisk = actually

betyder = means

sig = himself/herself/itself

Thomas is nervous when he and Lea arrive at the dance school, because he is uncertain and mostly wants to go home again. But to his great surprise, he actually thinks it is fun to dance, and it does not matter that he is not good at it, because he enjoys himself with Lea.

• why “nervøs” is used here?

In this context, “nervøs” is used to describe Thomas’s emotional state as he arrives at the dance school. It indicates that he is feeling anxious or apprehensive about trying something new, especially since he has expressed concerns about his dancing abilities. This sets the stage for his eventual surprise and enjoyment of the activity, despite his initial nervousness.

• why “sjovt” is used here?

In this context, “sjovt” is used to describe Thomas’s experience of dancing. It indicates that he finds the activity enjoyable and fun, which is a positive outcome for him. This is significant because it contrasts with his initial nervousness and lack of confidence, showing that he is able to have a good time even though he is not skilled at dancing.

Og da dansetimen slutter, er han i meget bedre humør, end da han kom, for han synes, det har været en rigtig god time. Så Thomas og Lea bliver enige om, at de nu har fundet deres nye hobby.

slutter = ends

humør = mood

end da = than when

enige = agreed

• it’s an adjective, verb form is enig.

And when the dance class ends, he is in a much better mood than when he arrived, because he thinks it has been a really good class. So Thomas and Lea agree that they have now found their new hobby.

• why “slutter” is used here?

In this context, “slutter” is used to indicate the conclusion of the dance class. It marks the point at which Thomas’s experience of dancing comes to an end for that session, allowing for a reflection on how he felt during the class. The use of “slutter” helps to set up the contrast between his mood at the beginning and the end of the class, highlighting the positive impact that the activity had on him.

Other vocabulary:

• starter = starts
• tilfreds = satisfied/content
• med = with