Requesting late checkout and storing luggage | Learn Danish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Må jeg bede om sen udtjekning i morgen?

   Could I request a late checkout tomorrow?

   Må jeg

   Could I …?

   bede om

   request

   sen

   late

   udtjekning

   checkout

   i morgen

   tomorrow

   More detail

   Må jeg is a reusable Danish way to ask for permission: literally, “May I …?” In this sentence, the natural English equivalent is “Could I …?” Må is the present form of måtte, a modal verb meaning “may/be allowed to” here. The subject is jeg (“I”), and the following verb stays in the infinitive: Må jeg bede ...? Example: Må jeg komme ind? — “May I come in?” bede om means “to ask for/request something.” The verb is bede; om introduces the thing requested. In the sentence, bede is an infinitive after the modal må. Example: Jeg vil bede om hjælp. — “I would like to ask for help.” This is different from simply spørge, which usually means “ask a question”; bede om focuses on requesting something. sen means “late” here, describing udtjekning. It is the base form of the adjective; useful comparison forms are senere (“later”) and senest (“latest”). Example: Vi kom senere. — “We arrived later.” The adjective’s form is not the noun’s form: sen describes the checkout, while udtjekning names the requested service. udtjekning is the noun “checkout,” especially the act or arranged time of checking out. It is built from the verb tjekke ud (“check out”), but the noun is a separate form used to name the event or service. Example: Udtjekning er klokken elleve. — “Checkout is at eleven.” i morgen is the time expression “tomorrow.” It places the requested checkout on the day after today. Example: Jeg rejser i morgen. — “I am leaving tomorrow.” Together, Må jeg bede om forms a polite request pattern: Må jeg bede om [thing]? The requested thing is sen udtjekning, “late checkout,” and i morgen specifies when it is wanted. The whole utterance therefore means: “Could I request a late checkout tomorrow?”

2. Jeg kan tjekke, om det er muligt. Hvornår håbede du på at tage af sted?

   I can check availability. What time were you hoping to leave?

   Jeg kan

   I can

   tjekke

   check

   muligt

   possible

   Hvornår

   when; what time

   håbede

   hoped

   tage af sted

   leave; depart

   More detail

   Jeg kan combines the subject Jeg (“I”) with kan, the present-tense form of kunne (“can; be able to”). Kan has the same form with different subjects, and it is followed by an infinitive: Jeg kan tjekke = “I can check.” tjekke is the infinitive “to check.” After a modal such as kan, Danish uses the infinitive without at: Jeg kan tjekke (“I can check”), not a finite verb form after kan. muligt means “possible” here. It is the neuter singular form of the adjective mulig (“possible”); the form agrees with the impersonal subject det in det er muligt (“it is possible”). In this sentence, om det er muligt means “whether it is possible,” with om introducing an indirect yes/no question. Together, tjekke, om det er muligt means “check whether it is possible,” which fits the fixed translation’s “check availability.” Hvornår asks about time: “when” or, in this context, “what time.” It introduces the question about the hoped-for departure time rather than identifying a person or object. håbede is the past tense of håbe (“hope”). Håbede på is the form used with the preposition på when someone hopes for a particular outcome. With an action, the reusable pattern is håbe på at + infinitive: Jeg håbede på at tage af sted = “I was hoping to leave.” The past form presents the hoping as situated in the past; it does not by itself say whether the departure happened. tage af sted is a fixed verb phrase meaning “leave” or “depart.” Its infinitive form is at tage af sted; after håbede på, the at belongs to the infinitive construction: håbede på at tage af sted. The phrase can be reused with another subject, for example Vi vil tage af sted (“We want to leave”). In the first sentence, Jeg kan tjekke (“I can check”) is followed by om det er muligt (“whether it is possible”), forming “I can check whether it is possible.” The second sentence asks Hvornår (“what time”) the other person håbede på at tage af sted (“was hoping to leave”), giving the complete meaning: “I can check availability. What time were you hoping to leave?”

3. Jeg håbede på at tage af sted omkring klokken to om eftermiddagen.

   I was hoping to leave around two in the afternoon.

   håbede på at

   hoped to

   tage af sted

   leave; depart

   omkring

   around; approximately

   klokken to

   two o’clock

   om eftermiddagen

   in the afternoon

   More detail

   håbede på at expresses hoping or expecting a desired action. håbede is the past-tense form of håbe (“hope”); Danish verbs generally do not change for the subject, so Jeg håbede means “I hoped” through the pronoun Jeg and the past-tense verb form. The pattern håbe på at is followed by an infinitive: Jeg håber på at rejse. — “I hope to travel.” tage af sted is a fixed verb expression meaning “leave” or “depart.” Its first word, tage, is the infinitive of “take,” but in this expression the complete unit has the departure meaning. at tage af sted is the infinitive form; for example, Vi skal tage af sted nu. — “We have to leave now.” omkring means “around” or “approximately” when placed with a time or amount. Here it makes the time approximate rather than exact: omkring klokken fem — “around five o’clock.” klokken to means “two o’clock.” klokken is used when stating the time on a clock, and to is the number two. This phrase identifies the approximate clock time; the surrounding omkring supplies the approximation. om eftermiddagen means “in the afternoon.” It specifies the part of the day, and it follows the clock-time phrase to clarify which two o’clock is intended. A parallel example is klokken tre om morgenen — “three o’clock in the morning.” Together, Jeg håbede på at tage af sted means “I was hoping to leave.” Adding omkring klokken to om eftermiddagen places that hoped-for departure at approximately two o’clock in the afternoon. The complete utterance therefore means: “I was hoping to leave around two in the afternoon.”

4. Det er jeg ked af, men sen udtjekning er ikke mulig, fordi alle værelserne er optaget.

   I'm sorry, late checkout isn't available because the rooms are fully booked.

   Det er jeg ked af

   I'm sorry

   sen

   late

   udtjekning

   checkout

   ikke mulig

   not possible

   fordi

   because

   alle

   all

   værelserne

   the rooms

   optaget

   occupied

   More detail

   Det er jeg ked af is a fixed Danish way to apologize. Its meaning here is “I’m sorry”; the words are best learned as a reusable expression rather than translated word by word. A similar pattern can be used when acknowledging an inconvenience. sen means “late” here and describes udtjekning. It is the common-gender singular form: en sen udtjekning. Danish adjectives can change with the noun: compare et sent svar (“a late answer”) and sene afgange (“late departures”). udtjekning is the noun “checkout,” referring here to the checkout time or arrangement. It is a useful noun for hotel situations. The sentence treats it as a singular common-gender noun, which is why the adjective is sen and the predicate adjective is mulig. ikke mulig means “not possible.” mulig is the adjective “possible”; its forms include mulig with a common-gender singular noun, muligt with a neuter singular noun, and mulige in plural or definite contexts. Here ikke negates the adjective, and the combination describes the unavailability of late checkout. fordi introduces the reason for the preceding statement and means “because.” It connects the unavailable service with the explanation that follows. For example, Jeg bliver hjemme, fordi jeg er syg means “I am staying home because I am ill.” alle means “all” and modifies the following noun phrase. In alle værelserne, it expresses the complete set of rooms, not an unspecified number. It is a determiner, so it does not replace the noun here. værelserne means “the rooms.” The base noun is værelse (“room”); its plural is værelser, and the definite plural form is værelserne. The ending -ne marks definiteness in this form. The noun is neuter in the singular (et værelse), but the observed plural form does not show singular neuter agreement. optaget means “occupied” here and, in this hotel context, supports the translation “fully booked.” It is the form used after er in the utterance to describe the rooms’ status. The same form can describe something being occupied or taken in other contexts, so the hotel context determines the relevant sense. For example, Sædet er optaget means “The seat is occupied.” Together, the apology is followed by the service and its negative availability statement: late checkout is not possible. fordi then adds the reason, namely that all the rooms are occupied, yielding the fixed meaning “I’m sorry, late checkout isn’t available because the rooms are fully booked.”

5. Må jeg opbevare min kuffert, efter jeg har forladt værelset?

   Could I store my suitcase after I leave the room?

   Må jeg

   May I?

   opbevare

   store; keep

   min

   my

   kuffert

   suitcase

   efter

   after

   jeg har

   I have

   forladt

   left

   værelset

   the room

   More detail

   Må jeg asks for permission: “May/Could I …?” Må is the present form of måtte, used here with jeg to ask whether the speaker is allowed to do something. It is not the ordinary ability verb. Example: Må jeg sidde her? — “May I sit here?” opbevare means “to store” or “to keep” something for a period of time. After må, the following verb stays in the infinitive: Må jeg opbevare ...? Example: Du må opbevare tasken her. — “You may store the bag here.” min means “my” before a singular common-gender noun. Its form matches the noun it describes: min with common gender singular, mit with neuter singular, and mine with plural nouns. Here it belongs to kuffert, which is common gender: min kuffert — “my suitcase.” kuffert means “suitcase.” Its plural is kufferter. Example: Min kuffert er tung. — “My suitcase is heavy.” efter means “after” and introduces the time relation between two events. Here it introduces the clause describing when the storing would happen. jeg har is “I have”: jeg is the subject “I,” and har is the present form of have. Together with a past participle, har helps form the perfect, which presents an action as completed by a relevant time. Example: Jeg har spist. — “I have eaten.” forladt is the past participle of forlade, “to leave.” In har forladt, it forms the perfect: jeg har forladt — “I have left.” The object of forlade is the place being left; here that place is værelset. værelset means “the room.” The base noun is værelse, a neuter noun; the ending -et marks its singular definite form: værelse — “room,” værelset — “the room.” Example: Jeg forlader værelset. — “I am leaving the room.” Together, efter jeg har forladt værelset means “after I have left the room.” The main question asks for permission to store the speaker’s suitcase, with that storage taking place after the speaker has left the room. Thus the complete utterance means: “Could I store my suitcase after I leave the room?”

6. Du kan efterlade den ved receptionen.

   You can leave it at the front desk.

   Du kan

   you can

   efterlade

   leave

   den

   it

   receptionen

   the reception desk

   More detail

   Du kan means “you can” here: du is the second-person singular subject, and kan is the present form of kunne (“can/be able to”). Danish uses kan directly before an infinitive, without an equivalent of English “to”: Du kan vente means “You can wait.” Depending on context, kan may express ability or permission; in this sentence the intended meaning is permission or an available option. efterlade means “leave [something behind]” and is the infinitive selected after kan. It is transitive, so it takes an object. The related verb forlade means “leave” a place or person, while efterlade focuses on leaving an object behind. Example: Jeg efterlader tasken her. — “I am leaving the bag here.” den is a singular common-gender object pronoun meaning “it” in this sentence. The surrounding context supports the stored suitcase as its referent. Danish object pronouns can differ from subject pronouns: den is used for a common-gender singular thing as the object, while den can also be a subject form in other sentences; its grammatical role comes from the sentence structure here. receptionen means “the reception desk/front desk” in this context. Its base noun is reception; receptionen is the definite singular form, formed with the ending -en. The definite form presents the desk as an identifiable place, rather than merely mentioning a reception in general. Example: Vi mødes ved receptionen. — “We will meet at the front desk.” Together, Du kan efterlade den says “You can leave it,” and ved receptionen adds the location “at the front desk.” The complete utterance therefore means: “You can leave it at the front desk.”

7. Så tjekker jeg ud som normalt og opbevarer min kuffert.

   In that case, I'll check out normally and store my suitcase.

   Så

   in that case

   tjekker … ud

   check out

   som normalt

   as usual

   opbevarer

   store

   kuffert

   suitcase

   More detail

   Så means “in that case” here: it connects the sentence to the situation just established. It can also mean “then” in other contexts, so the intended sense comes from this sentence and its translation. tjekker ud is the Danish particle-verb construction “check out.” The verb tjekker is the present form of tjekke; ud changes the meaning from general checking to leaving a hotel or other accommodation after settling the stay. Danish present forms can describe a planned or expected future action, so jeg tjekker ud can mean “I’ll check out” in this context. The subject jeg is “I,” and it supplies the actor for this and the coordinated action that follows. som normalt means “as usual” or “normally.” It describes the manner in which the check-out will happen. The phrase is reusable with other verbs, for example: Hun arbejder som normalt. — “She works as usual.” opbevarer means “store” or “keep in storage” here. It is the present form of opbevare. With the subject jeg, it describes what the speaker will do next; the present form receives a future reading from the situation. The same verb can be used for belongings or other items: Vi opbevarer bagagen her. — “We store the luggage here.” kuffert is the noun “suitcase.” In the sentence, min before it means “my,” so min kuffert means “my suitcase.” Kuffert is a common-gender Danish noun; with the indefinite article it is en kuffert, and with the definite form it is kufferten (“the suitcase”). Together, Så tjekker jeg ud som normalt means “In that case, I’ll check out normally,” and og opbevarer min kuffert adds the coordinated action “and store my suitcase.” The complete utterance is therefore: “In that case, I’ll check out normally and store my suitcase.”

8. Vi opbevarer den bag receptionen, indtil du kommer tilbage.

   We'll keep it behind the desk until you return.

   Vi

   we

   opbevarer

   keep; store

   den

   it

   bag

   behind

   receptionen

   the reception desk

   indtil

   until

   du

   you

   kommer tilbage

   return; come back

   More detail

   Vi means “we” here: the speaker includes themself and at least one other person. Danish subject pronouns include jeg (“I”), du (“you”), and vi (“we”). opbevarer means “keep/store” here. Its base form is opbevare; opbevarer is the present-tense form. Danish present-tense verb forms generally do not change according to the subject. Example: Jeg opbevarer tasken. — “I store the bag.” den means “it” here and is the singular object pronoun used with the relevant noun class. In this exchange, it refers to the item being stored, with the surrounding context supporting the luggage-storage topic. Danish contrasts den with det in relevant grammatical contexts; the choice is tied to the noun’s grammatical class, not to the object’s physical size. bag is the preposition “behind.” It introduces the location of the stored item. Example: Tasken står bag døren. — “The bag is behind the door.” receptionen means “the reception desk” here. The base noun is reception, and the ending -en marks its definite singular form: reception is the indefinite form, while receptionen means “the reception.” In this sentence, the fixed translation specifies the intended location as behind the desk. indtil means “until” and introduces the point at which the storage arrangement ends. It connects the storage arrangement with the later event in the following clause. du means “you” as a singular subject pronoun. It is the subject of the clause after indtil; Danish uses I for plural “you,” while du is singular. kommer tilbage means “come back/return.” kommer is the present-tense form of komme (“come”), and tilbage adds the meaning “back.” Together they form a common verb phrase meaning “return” in this context. Example: Hun kommer tilbage i morgen. — “She is coming back tomorrow.” The sentence combines Vi opbevarer den (“we will keep it”), bag receptionen (“behind the reception desk”), and indtil du kommer tilbage (“until you return”). Although opbevarer and kommer are present-tense forms, the context gives the whole statement a future-oriented meaning: the item will be kept there up to the time when you return.

9. Har jeg brug for en billet eller et mærke til den?

   Do I need a ticket or label for it?

   Har jeg brug for

   do I need

   en billet

   a ticket

   eller

   or

   et mærke

   a label

   til den

   for it

   More detail

   Har jeg brug for means “do I need” in this question. Danish uses the expression have brug for (“have use for”) for needing something. In a yes/no question, the finite verb comes before the subject: Har jeg ...? = “Do I ...?” Compare the reusable pattern Har du brug for ...? = “Do you need ...?” en billet means “a ticket.” Billet is a common-gender noun, so its indefinite singular article is en: en billet. The article marks an indefinite singular noun here; it does not by itself state a numerical count. The definite form is billetten (“the ticket”). eller means “or.” It links alternatives, so the question offers a choice between en billet and et mærke. et mærke means “a label” here. Mærke is a neuter noun, so its indefinite singular article is et: et mærke. Its definite form is mærket (“the label”). In the supplied context, the later bagagemærke makes a luggage tag the relevant kind of label. Example: Jeg har et mærke. — “I have a label/tag.” til den means “for it.” Til commonly introduces the thing something is intended for. Den is a singular pronoun used for a common-gender referent; its specific referent is supplied by the context rather than by the pronoun alone. In the surrounding text, the translation supports “it,” referring to the item being kept and later handed over. Example: Har du en taske til den? — “Do you have a bag for it?” Together, Har jeg brug for forms the yes/no question, en billet eller et mærke gives the two alternatives, and til den specifies what the ticket or label would be for. The complete meaning is: “Do I need a ticket or label for it?”

10. Vi giver dig et bagagemærke, når du afleverer den.

    We'll give you a luggage tag when you drop it off.

    Vi

    we

    giver

    give

    dig

    you

    et

    a/an

    bagagemærke

    luggage tag

    når

    when

    du

    you

    afleverer

    drop off; hand in

    den

    it

    More detail

    Vi means “we” here: the speaker includes themself and at least one other participant. It is the subject form; compare jeg “I” for a single speaker and vi “we” for a plural subject. giver is the present-tense form of give “to give”. Danish present tense is used here for the planned or expected giving. Example: Jeg giver dig nøglen. — “I give you the key.” The form giver does not itself mark a past event; past time uses gav. dig means “you” as the object of giver. Danish distinguishes the subject form du from the object form dig: Du giver mig nøglen. — “You give me the key.” et is the indefinite article used with the neuter noun bagagemærke. It introduces an unspecified luggage tag; its form is singular because the noun is singular, but the article itself is not a separate numeric statement. Danish indefinite articles include en and et; the choice is determined by the noun’s grammatical gender. bagagemærke is the noun “luggage tag”. It is a compound noun, and its grammatical gender is neuter, which is why it appears with et here. The indefinite form is et bagagemærke; the definite form is bagagemærket, “the luggage tag”. når introduces a time clause meaning “when”. It connects the giving with the event in the following clause. Example: Jeg ringer, når jeg kommer hjem. — “I’ll call when I get home.” du is the subject form “you” in the når clause. It contrasts with object-form dig; for example, Du afleverer den means “You hand it in”, while Jeg ser dig means “I see you”. afleverer is the present-tense form of aflevere, “to hand in, hand over, or drop off”. In this utterance, the intended sense is “drop off” the item. Example: Hun afleverer pakken. — “She drops off the package.” den is the singular common-gender object pronoun “it” here. In this utterance, it refers to the item being dropped off, while the pronoun itself supplies the grammatical role rather than naming that item. Danish also has the neuter singular object pronoun det; the choice between den and det follows the grammatical gender of the noun being referred to. Together, Vi giver dig et bagagemærke means “We’ll give you a luggage tag.” The time clause når du afleverer den means “when you drop it off”: du is the person doing the dropping off, and den is the item being dropped off. The complete utterance therefore means “We’ll give you a luggage tag when you drop it off.”