Finding an accessible route at a station | Learn Danish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Undskyld, er der en handicapvenlig vej til den rigtige perron?

   Excuse me, is there an accessible way to reach the correct platform?

   Undskyld

   Excuse me; sorry

   er der

   is there

   handicapvenlig

   accessible

   vej

   way

   rigtige

   correct; right

   perron

   platform

   More detail

   Undskyld is a polite way to get someone’s attention or apologize. Its base form is undskylde; the observed form is the imperative, addressed to “you.” er der is the reusable Danish existential question pattern “is there …?” Here er is the present form of være (“to be”), while der is the fixed placeholder used in this construction. For example, Er der en elevator? means “Is there an elevator?” handicapvenlig means accessible in the sense intended by the translation. It is a compound adjective. Its form changes with the noun phrase: handicapvenligt is used with a neuter singular noun, and handicapvenlige with a plural or definite noun phrase. In this sentence, it describes vej. vej means way or route. Its base form is vej; the definite singular is vejen, as in Vejen er kort (“The route is short”). The pattern en vej til ... means “a way/route to ...”. rigtige is the inflected form of the adjective rigtig, meaning correct or right here. Danish uses rigtige with a definite noun phrase such as den rigtige perron; compare indefinite common-gender singular en rigtig perron (“a correct platform”) with definite den rigtige perron (“the correct platform”). perron means platform, especially a station platform. Its definite singular form is perronen (“the platform”). Together, er der asks whether something exists, en handicapvenlig vej identifies an accessible route, and til den rigtige perron gives its destination. The complete utterance is therefore: “Excuse me, is there an accessible way to reach the correct platform?”

2. Den nærmeste elevator er lukket på grund af vedligeholdelse lige nu.

   The closest elevator is closed for maintenance at the moment.

   nærmeste

   closest

   elevator

   elevator

   er lukket

   is closed

   på grund af

   because of

   vedligeholdelse

   maintenance

   lige nu

   right now

   More detail

   nærmeste means “closest” here. It is the superlative form related to nær (“near”): nær → nærmere (“nearer”) → nærmest/nærmeste (“nearest/closest”). In this noun phrase, nærmeste has the attributive form used with the definite phrase introduced by den. elevator means “elevator.” It is a common-gender noun: en elevator is “an elevator,” while elevatoren is “the elevator.” Here, den nærmeste elevator means “the closest elevator.” er lukket expresses a current closed state: er is the present form of være (“to be”), and lukket means “closed.” The form lukket is related to the verb lukke (“to close”); with være, it describes the elevator’s state rather than presenting an instruction to close it. Example: Døren er lukket. — “The door is closed.” på grund af is a fixed prepositional construction meaning “because of” or “due to.” It is followed by the reason, here vedligeholdelse. vedligeholdelse means “maintenance.” It is a noun used here for the activity or work that explains why the elevator is closed. Example: Vejen er lukket på grund af vedligeholdelse. — “The road is closed because of maintenance.” lige nu means “right now” or “at the moment.” It places the described state in the present time. Example: Jeg arbejder lige nu. — “I am working right now.” Together, Den nærmeste elevator identifies the closest elevator, er lukket says that it is currently closed, på grund af vedligeholdelse gives maintenance as the reason, and lige nu emphasizes the present time. The complete meaning is: “The closest elevator is closed for maintenance at the moment.”

3. Det kan være svært med min tunge kuffert.

   That might be difficult with my heavy suitcase.

   Det kan være

   It may be

   svært

   difficult

   med

   with

   min

   my

   tunge

   heavy

   kuffert

   suitcase

   More detail

   Det kan være is a reusable Danish pattern for expressing a possibility: kan is the modal verb “can/may,” and it is followed by the infinitive være (“be”). Here det functions as the grammatical subject of the impersonal statement; it does not identify a particular person or object. Compare Det er svært (“It is difficult”) with Det kan være svært (“It may be difficult”). svært means “difficult” here. It is the neuter singular form of the adjective svær, used because the adjective describes det in this construction. The useful comparison chain is svær (difficult), sværere (more difficult), sværest (most difficult). For example: Det er svært at vente. — “It is difficult to wait.” med is a preposition meaning “with” in this sentence. It introduces the circumstance or thing involved: svært med ... means that something is difficult when dealing with or carrying the following item. For example: Det er svært med så meget bagage. — “It is difficult with so much luggage.” min means “my” and is the singular possessive form used with a common-gender noun. It agrees with the noun it modifies, not with the possessor. With a neuter singular noun, use mit; with a plural noun, use mine. tunge means “heavy” here. Its base form is tung. The -e form is used before this noun phrase because the possessive makes the noun phrase definite-like: min tunge kuffert. The comparison forms are tungere (“heavier”) and tungest (“heaviest”). For example: en tung taske — “a heavy bag”; min tunge taske — “my heavy bag.” kuffert means “suitcase.” It is a common-gender noun: en kuffert (“a suitcase”), plural kufferter, and definite singular kufferten (“the suitcase”). Together, Det kan være svært says that something may be difficult, med min tunge kuffert specifies that the difficulty is associated with the speaker’s heavy suitcase, and the complete meaning is: “That might be difficult with my heavy suitcase.”

4. Brug elevatoren ved den nordlige indgang. Det kræver en kort gåtur.

   Use the elevator by the north entrance. It adds a short walk.

   Brug

   use

   elevatoren

   the elevator

   ved

   by; at

   den

   the

   nordlige

   northern

   indgang

   entrance

   kræver

   requires; calls for

   kort

   short

   gåtur

   walk

   More detail

   Brug is the imperative of bruge (“to use”). It gives a direct instruction to one or more people; the subject is normally understood rather than stated. Compare bruger (“uses/am using”) in a statement: Jeg bruger elevatoren. — “I use the elevator.” elevatoren means “the elevator” here. The ending -en marks the definite singular form of the common-gender noun elevator; the indefinite form is en elevator. Danish often places definiteness on the noun itself rather than using a separate word for “the.” ved is a preposition meaning “by” or “at” when locating something. In this sentence it connects the elevator with its location: elevatoren ved indgangen — “the elevator by the entrance.” den is the common-gender singular definite article used before the adjective in den nordlige indgang. It is not functioning as an independent pronoun here; it helps form the definite noun phrase “the northern entrance.” nordlige is the definite-form adjective corresponding to nordlig, “northern.” After a definite article such as den, Danish adjectives commonly take the -e form: den nordlige indgang. The adjective describes the direction or position associated with the entrance. indgang means “entrance.” It is a common-gender noun: en indgang is “an entrance,” while indgangen is “the entrance.” In the sentence, den nordlige indgang is the specific entrance identified as northern. kræver is the present form of kræve, “to require” or “to call for.” With a third-person singular subject, the present form is kræver; Danish verbs generally do not change for different subjects in the present tense: jeg kræver, du kræver, det kræver. Here it says that the route or situation described by Det requires a short walk. The fixed translation expresses the same effect naturally as “It adds a short walk.” kort means “short” in en kort gåtur. It is the common-gender singular indefinite form of the adjective; the form is also used for neuter singular in contexts such as et kort svar (“a short answer”). gåtur means “walk” or “walk on foot.” It is a compound noun built from gå (“walk/go”) and tur (“trip/outing”), but it functions as one noun here. With the indefinite article, en gåtur means “a walk”; gåturen means “the walk.” The complete structure is Brug elevatoren ved den nordlige indgang (“Use the elevator by the north entrance”), followed by Det kræver en kort gåtur (“It requires/adds a short walk”). The imperative gives the instruction, ved den nordlige indgang specifies which elevator by location, and the second sentence states the practical consequence of that choice.

5. Kan du vise mig, hvor den er, eller er skiltene nemme at følge?

   Could you point me toward it, or are the signs easy to follow?

   Kan du

   can you

   vise

   show; point out

   mig

   me

   hvor

   where

   den

   it

   er

   is

   eller

   or

   skiltene

   the signs

   nemme

   easy

   at følge

   to follow

   More detail

   Kan du is a reusable way to ask whether someone can do something. kan is the present form of kunne (“can, be able to”), and du is the singular informal “you.” Danish questions commonly place the finite verb before the subject: Kan du ...? Compare the statement Du kan ... (“You can ...”). vise means “show” or, with a person and a location, “point toward.” It is the infinitive after the modal kan; after a modal, Danish uses the infinitive without at: Kan du vise ...? (“Can you show ...?”). The useful pattern is vise nogen noget or vise nogen, hvor ... (“show someone something” or “show someone where ...”). mig is the object form of jeg: jeg (“I”) is used as the subject, while mig (“me”) is used for the person receiving the showing. In this sentence, the speaker asks the other person to show the speaker the location. hvor den er is an embedded question meaning “where it is.” hvor asks about a location. Unlike the direct question Hvor er den?, the embedded question keeps the subject before the finite verb: hvor den er. The form den is the singular common-gender pronoun “it” here, with the intended referent supplied by the fixed translation; er is the present form of være (“be”). Example: Jeg ved, hvor den er. — “I know where it is.” eller connects alternatives and means “or.” Here it introduces a second option: instead of showing the location, the other person may indicate whether the signs are easy to follow. skiltene means “the signs.” Its base noun is skilt (“sign”); skilte is the plural, and skiltene is the definite plural. Danish commonly marks definiteness on the noun with an ending, so skilt contrasts with skiltet (“the sign”), while skilte contrasts with skiltene (“the signs”). nemme means “easy” in its plural form. The adjective is based on nem (“easy”); nemme agrees with the plural noun skiltene in the predicate skiltene er nemme (“the signs are easy”). This is the adjective's form, not a form of the noun. Example: Opgaverne er nemme. — “The tasks are easy.” at følge means “to follow.” følge is the infinitive base form, and at marks the infinitive here. The same verb can describe following a person, route, or signs; with skiltene, it means using the signs to stay on the route. Example: Det er let at følge kortet. — “The map is easy to follow.” Together, Kan du vise mig, hvor den er asks, “Could you show me where it is?” The comma separates that request from the alternative eller er skiltene nemme at følge?, “or are the signs easy to follow?” The complete utterance therefore offers two ways to get oriented: being shown the location or using signs that can be followed. The question is polite and suitable for asking for directions.

6. Gå forbi billetautomaterne, og følg så de blå skilte.

   Go past the ticket machines, then follow the blue signs.

   Gå forbi

   go past

   billetautomaterne

   the ticket machines

   følg

   follow

   så

   then

   blå

   blue

   skilte

   signs

   More detail

   Gå forbi means “go past” here. gå is the imperative of gå (“to go”); in Danish this imperative has the same form as the basic verb. forbi adds the idea of moving past a point or object. Example: Gå forbi huset. — “Go past the house.” billetautomaterne means “the ticket machines.” Its base noun is billetautomat (“ticket machine”). The form billetautomater is plural, and the ending -ne makes it definite plural: “the ticket machines.” følg means “follow.” It is the imperative of følge (“to follow”), used to give the next direction. Example: Følg vejen. — “Follow the road.” så means “then” in this sentence. It links the two directions in time or sequence: first go past the machines, then follow something. blå means “blue.” Danish adjectives after de agree with a plural or definite noun; blå itself keeps this form here. Compare en blå bil (“a blue car”) and blå biler (“blue cars”). skilte means “signs.” Its singular base form is skilt (“sign”), and skilte is the plural form. In de blå skilte, de plus the adjective and noun forms the definite expression “the blue signs”; the noun is not written with the separate definite ending used in skiltene. Together, Gå forbi billetautomaterne gives the first instruction, “Go past the ticket machines.” og følg så de blå skilte adds the next one, “and then follow the blue signs.” The whole utterance is therefore: “Go past the ticket machines, then follow the blue signs.”

7. Kan jeg stadig nå toget, før det kører?

   Will I still reach the train before it leaves?

   Kan jeg

   Can I

   stadig

   still

   nå

   reach; make it in time

   toget

   the train

   før

   before

   det

   it

   kører

   leaves

   More detail

   Kan jeg combines the modal verb kan (“can/be able to”) with the subject pronoun jeg (“I”). In this question, the verb comes before the subject: Kan jeg ...? means “Can I ...?” or “Will I be able to ...?” Example: Kan jeg komme ind? — “Can I come in?” stadig means “still”: the situation remains possible at the relevant time. In Kan jeg stadig ...?, it asks whether the possibility remains. Example: Er butikken stadig åben? — “Is the shop still open?” nå is the infinitive form of nå. Here it means reaching or catching something in time; with a destination or transport connection, nå toget can mean “catch the train.” The same verb can also mean simply “reach” or “have time to do something,” depending on its complement. Example: Jeg kan nå bussen. — “I can catch the bus.” toget is the definite singular form of tog, “train”: tog = “a train” in an indefinite form, while toget = “the train.” The ending -et marks definiteness for this noun. Example: Toget er forsinket. — “The train is delayed.” før introduces the time relation “before.” It connects the reaching or catching of the train with the later event in the following clause. Example: Ring, før du går. — “Call before you leave.” det is a third-person singular neuter pronoun. In this utterance, the fixed translation identifies it as referring to the train, so det means “it” in the clause about the train’s departure. Its form is selected by the grammatical gender and number of its referent; it is not itself a marker of motion or departure. kører is the present-tense form of køre, “drive” or “travel.” With a train, it is used here for the train leaving or departing. The present form can describe a scheduled or imminent event. Example: Toget kører klokken otte. — “The train leaves at eight.” Together, Kan jeg stadig nå toget? asks whether the speaker can still catch the train. før det kører adds the deadline: this must happen before the train leaves. The whole utterance therefore means “Will I still reach the train before it leaves?” A reusable pattern is Kan jeg stadig nå [transportmiddel], før det kører? — “Can I still catch [transport], before it leaves?”

8. Hvis du går nu, burde du nå frem i god tid.

   If you leave now, you should get there with time to spare.

   Hvis

   if

   går

   go; leave

   nu

   now

   burde

   should; ought to

   nå frem

   reach; get there

   i god tid

   with time to spare

   More detail

   Hvis introduces a condition: “if …”. A reusable pattern is Hvis + clause, main clause, as in Hvis du kommer tidligt, kan vi spise sammen (“If you arrive early, we can eat together”). går is the present-tense form of gå, “go” or, in this context, “leave”. With du, the form is går; the same present form is used for a current action and often for a planned or conditionally relevant action. Here it means leaving now, not walking specifically. nu means “now” and places the leaving at the present time. It can also combine with other verbs, for example Jeg arbejder nu (“I am working now”). burde expresses what is expected or advisable: “should” or “ought to”. It is the form related to bør; in this sentence it gives an expectation about the result, rather than a firm guarantee. Du burde være hjemme snart means “You should be home soon.” nå frem is a two-word verb expression meaning “reach [a destination]” or “get there”. nå can mean “reach” or “manage to get to” a place, while frem emphasizes reaching or arriving there. In the sentence, frem is not a separate destination; together they form the useful expression nå frem. i god tid is a time expression meaning “with plenty of time” or “with time to spare”. The adjective god modifies tid; here the expression concerns arriving early enough, not simply having generally good time. The conditional clause Hvis du går nu means “If you leave now”. The main clause burde du nå frem i god tid says that, under that condition, you are expected to get there with time to spare. Together: “If you leave now, you should get there with time to spare.”

9. Jeg går den vej nu.

   I'll head that way now.

   Jeg

   I

   går

   go; head

   den

   that

   vej

   way; route

   nu

   now

   More detail

   Jeg means “I” and is the first-person singular subject pronoun. The same form is used regardless of whether the speaker is male or female. går is the present-tense form of gå, “to go” or “to walk.” In this sentence, går den vej means “go/head that way,” matching the fixed translation. Danish present tense can describe movement happening now and, with context, an intended or scheduled action. Example: Jeg går hjem. — “I’m going home.” den is a demonstrative form meaning “that” here. In den vej, it helps identify the route or direction being referred to. It is the common-gender singular form used with vej; the form is not the noun’s base form. A contrasting form is denne, meaning “this” in a comparable singular common-gender phrase. vej is the noun “way” or “route.” Its base form is vej; useful forms include en vej (“a way/route”), vejen (“the way/route”), and veje (“ways/routes”). In den vej, it combines with den to form the expression “that way.” Example: Vi tager en anden vej. — “We’re taking another route.” nu is the adverb “now.” It places the action at the present time. Example: Hun kommer nu. — “She is coming now.” Together, Jeg går gives “I’m going/heading,” den vej specifies the route or direction as “that way,” and nu adds “now.” The complete utterance therefore means “I’ll head that way now,” with the speaker as the person who will go.

10. Spørg personalet ved gaten, hvis du får brug for hjælp undervejs.

    Ask the gate staff if you need help on the way.

    Spørg

    ask

    personalet

    the staff

    ved

    at/by

    gaten

    the gate

    hvis

    if

    du

    you

    får brug for

    need

    hjælp

    help

    undervejs

    on the way

    More detail

    Spørg is the imperative of spørge (“to ask”). It gives a direct instruction: “Ask …”. For example, Spørg læreren. means “Ask the teacher.” personalet means “the staff”. The ending -et marks the definite form of personale here: personale = “staff” and personalet = “the staff”. This is a mass or collective noun, so the form does not assert a particular number of individual staff members. ved means “at” or “by” when it places something near a location. gaten means “the gate”; it is the definite form of gate, formed with -en. Together, ved gaten means “at the gate”. hvis introduces a condition and means “if”. It begins the subordinate clause hvis du får brug for hjælp undervejs (“if you need help on the way”). du is the second-person singular pronoun “you”. Danish uses du for one person in ordinary direct address; this form does not mark the gender of the person addressed. får brug for is a reusable Danish construction meaning “need”. It consists of the present form får of få (“get”) plus brug for (“use for”), but the complete construction is idiomatically “need”, not a literal instruction to get something. The pattern is få brug for + noun: Jeg får brug for hjælp. means “I will need help.” hjælp means “help”. It is commonly used as an uncountable noun in this meaning, as in Jeg har brug for hjælp. — “I need help.” undervejs means “on the way” or “while travelling”. It is a single adverb, not a phrase that needs to be split into separate target-language words. In this sentence it describes when or during what situation help might be needed. The sentence assembles as Spørg personalet ved gaten (“Ask the staff at the gate”) + hvis du får brug for hjælp undervejs (“if you need help on the way”). The complete meaning is: “Ask the gate staff if you need help on the way.”