Borrowing a laptop adapter before a presentation | Learn Danish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Min adapter til den bærbare computer er væk, og min præsentation begynder snart.

   My laptop adapter is missing, and my presentation starts soon.

   Min

   my

   adapter

   adapter

   til

   for / to

   den

   the

   bærbare

   portable / laptop

   computer

   computer

   er væk

   is missing

   min

   my

   præsentation

   presentation

   begynder

   starts / begins

   snart

   soon

   More detail

   Min means “my” here and is the possessive form used with a singular common-gender noun. Compare mit with a singular neuter noun and mine with plural nouns: min bog, mit hus, mine bøger. adapter is the noun “adapter.” Danish nouns are commonly introduced with an indefinite article, as in en adapter; its definite form is adapteren. The noun is specified by the following til phrase. til commonly marks a relation such as “for” or “to.” In adapter til den bærbare computer, it links the adapter to the laptop. Example: en nøgle til døren — “a key for the door.” den is the definite article used before a singular common-gender noun when an adjective comes before it. It makes the following noun phrase definite; it does not by itself state a numeric quantity. bærbare is the definite-form adjective corresponding to bærbar, “portable.” In this phrase, the full expression den bærbare computer is the ordinary Danish way to say “the laptop,” literally “the portable computer.” With a definite adjective phrase, Danish uses the adjective form in -e: den bærbare computer. computer means “computer.” Together with den bærbare, it forms the definite noun phrase “the laptop.” The adjective and noun are separate useful parts: en bærbar computer is “a laptop,” while den bærbare computer is “the laptop.” er væk means “is missing” in this sentence. er is the present form of være, “to be,” and væk means “away/gone”; together they describe something as no longer present. Example: Min taske er væk. — “My bag is missing.” min again means “my,” this time before the singular common-gender noun præsentation. The repeated form is determined by the noun it accompanies, not by the fact that it appears a second time. præsentation means “presentation.” It is a common-gender noun: en præsentation means “a presentation,” and præsentationen means “the presentation.” begynder means “starts” or “begins” here. It is the present-tense form of begynde, “to begin.” Danish present tense can also describe a planned or scheduled future event, so præsentation begynder snart means that the presentation will start soon, not necessarily that it is starting at this exact moment. Example: Filmen begynder klokken otte. — “The film starts at eight.” snart means “soon” and modifies the starting event. It does not itself specify an exact time. Putting the parts together, Min adapter til den bærbare computer er væk means “My laptop adapter is missing”: min identifies the speaker’s adapter, til den bærbare computer specifies what it is for, and er væk states that it is absent. min præsentation begynder snart means “my presentation starts soon.” The complete utterance is therefore: “My laptop adapter is missing, and my presentation starts soon.”

2. Jeg har en, du kan bruge.

   I have one you can use.

   Jeg har

   I have

   en

   one

   du kan

   you can

   bruge

   use

   More detail

   Jeg har means “I have” here. jeg is the first-person singular pronoun “I”, and har is the present-tense form of have (have → har). Danish uses har for possession as well as for other meanings of “have.” Example: Jeg har tid. — “I have time.” en means “one” in this sentence. It is a standalone form referring to an omitted common-gender noun; in the supplied context, that noun is an adapter. Do not treat en here as merely an indefinite article before a stated noun: the noun is left unstated because it is understood. Example: Jeg har en. — “I have one.” du kan means “you can.” du is the second-person singular pronoun “you,” and kan is the present-tense form of the modal verb kunne (“can, be able to”). A modal such as kan is followed by an infinitive without at. bruge is the infinitive “use.” After kan, it remains in this form: du kan bruge — “you can use.” Example: Du kan bruge min telefon. — “You can use my phone.” Together, Jeg har en says “I have one,” and du kan bruge says “you can use.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I have one you can use.” In the surrounding exchange, the understood item is an adapter.

3. Men lad os tjekke, at den virker med din bærbare computer.

   But let's check that it works with your laptop.

   Men

   but

   lad os

   let’s

   tjekke

   check

   den

   it

   virker

   works

   med

   with

   din

   your

   bærbare

   portable

   computer

   computer

   More detail

   Men means “but” and links this proposal to what came before, creating a contrast or transition. lad os is the reusable Danish pattern “let us / let’s.” lad is the imperative of lade (“let, allow”), followed by os (“us”). In this pattern, it introduces a shared action: Lad os begynde. — “Let’s begin.” The following verb is in the infinitive: lad os tjekke. tjekke is the infinitive “to check.” Danish commonly uses the infinitive after at (“to”) and in the lad os + infinitive pattern. Example: Lad os se. — “Let’s see.” den is a third-person singular pronoun meaning “it” here. Danish den is used for a singular common-gender referent; its exact referent in this exchange is the item previously offered for use. The pronoun itself marks the grammatical class of the referent, while the context supplies which item it is. virker means “works” or “functions” here. It is the present-tense form of virke (“to work, function”): jeg virke(r) is not the relevant pattern here; the form virker is used with several present-tense subjects, including den. Example: Det virker. — “It works.” med means “with” in this sentence. It connects the item being checked to the equipment it is being tested with. Example: Det virker med denne telefon. — “It works with this phone.” din means “your” before a singular common-gender noun. Its form agrees with the possessed noun, not with the owner: compare din computer (“your computer”) with dit kamera (“your camera”) and dine computere (“your computers”). bærbare is the form of the adjective bærbar, “portable,” used before computer after the possessive din. In din bærbare computer, the -e form is used in this attributive noun phrase. The adjective describes the computer; it does not mean “laptop” by itself in this sentence. Example: en bærbar computer — “a portable computer.” computer means “computer.” It is a singular common-gender noun here. A useful form chain is computer (singular), computere (plural), and computeren (the computer, definite singular). Together, lad os tjekke gives “let’s check.” The clause at den virker says what should be checked: “that it works.” Finally, med din bærbare computer specifies the equipment involved: “with your laptop” (literally, “with your portable computer”). Thus the whole utterance means: “But let’s check that it works with your laptop.”

4. Den passer i porten. Jeg skal stadig teste projektoren.

   It fits the port. I still need to test the projector.

   Den

   it

   passer

   fits

   porten

   the port

   Jeg skal

   I need to

   stadig

   still

   teste

   test

   projektoren

   the projector

   More detail

   Den is the singular common-gender form used here for “it.” Its grammatical form identifies the referent as singular and common gender, but the supplied sentence does not uniquely name what “it” refers to. Danish also uses det for singular neuter-gender “it”; this is a grammatical distinction, not a difference in English translation. passer is the present-tense form of passe, “to fit,” in the physical sense used here. The same verb can also mean “suit” in another context, but “fit” is the supported meaning in this sentence. Example: Nøglen passer i låsen. — “The key fits the lock.” porten means “the port.” The base noun is port; the ending -en marks the definite singular form for this noun: en port — “a port,” porten — “the port.” Jeg skal combines jeg, “I,” with skal, the present form of skulle used here to express what the speaker needs to or is going to do. Skal does not change for the subject’s person or number. After skal, Danish uses an infinitive: Jeg skal teste — “I need to test.” stadig means “still”: the need to test remains in force at this point. It is an adverb and does not change form. Example: Hun arbejder stadig. — “She is still working.” teste is the infinitive of teste, “to test.” It follows the modal skal; the infinitive names the action required or intended, while skal carries the modal meaning. Example: Vi skal teste systemet. — “We need to test the system.” projektoren means “the projector.” Its base noun is projektor; projektoren is its definite singular form, contrasting with en projektor, “a projector.” Together, Den passer i porten says that the unspecified singular common-gender “it” physically fits inside the port. Jeg skal stadig teste projektoren says that the speaker still needs to test the projector. The two sentences are separate statements: first a fit is reported, then an unfinished testing task is stated.

5. Gør det nu. Små problemer bliver sværere, når man er under pres.

   Do it now; small problems get harder under pressure.

   Gør

   do

   det

   it

   nu

   now

   Små

   small

   problemer

   problems

   bliver

   become; get

   sværere

   harder

   når

   when

   under pres

   under pressure

   More detail

   Gør is the imperative of gøre (“to do”): gør = “do!” It is the direct form used to tell someone to act. Example: Gør det! — “Do it!” det is a neuter singular object pronoun meaning “it” here. It refers to the action understood in context, without adding a new specific noun. The same form can also mean “that” in other contexts, so its exact reference comes from the situation. nu means “now” and places the action in the present moment. Gør det nu therefore gives a direct instruction: “Do it now.” Små means “small” and is the plural form of lille. It agrees with the plural noun problemer. Danish adjective forms can change with number and definiteness; compare et lille problem (“a small problem”) with små problemer (“small problems”). problemer is the plural of problem, “problem.” The plural ending is -er: et problem → problemer. Example: Vi har flere problemer. — “We have several problems.” bliver is the present-tense form of blive, “to become” or “to get” in a change-of-state expression. Here it links problemer with the result sværere: the problems get harder. Example: Det bliver koldt. — “It is getting cold.” sværere is the comparative of svær, “difficult” or “hard”: svær → sværere (“harder”) → sværest (“hardest”). It compares the problems’ difficulty with an earlier or implied level; it does not mean that the problems are necessarily difficult in an absolute sense. når introduces a time or condition clause meaning “when.” The clause når man er under pres gives the situation in which the problems get harder. In Danish, når commonly introduces something viewed as recurring or generally applicable, as in Når jeg er træt, laver jeg fejl. — “When I am tired, I make mistakes.” under pres is the expression “under pressure.” under means “under,” and pres means “pressure”; together they describe a pressured situation. Danish uses this expression without an article here. Example: Hun arbejder godt under pres. — “She works well under pressure.” The utterance first gives the imperative Gør det nu (“Do it now”). It then states a general consequence: Små problemer bliver sværere (“Small problems get harder”) når man er under pres (“when one is under pressure”). man is an impersonal or general “one/you,” so the sentence presents the pattern generally rather than identifying a particular person.

6. Det vises korrekt på skærmen, så er vi klar.

   The screen is showing correctly, so we're set.

   Det

   it

   vises

   is displayed

   korrekt

   correctly

   skærmen

   the screen

   så

   so

   er vi

   we are

   klar

   ready; set

   More detail

   Det is a Danish neuter singular pronoun. Here it is the subject of vises; the fixed translation conveys the overall situation as the screen showing correctly, without requiring a more specific noun as the referent. Danish also uses det in other constructions, so its form alone does not identify what it refers to. vises comes from vise, “to show.” In this sentence, the -s form expresses the passive meaning “is displayed,” without naming who displays it. It is in the present tense. Compare viser (“shows”) when the subject actively shows something: Programmet viser billedet. — “The program shows the image.” korrekt means “correctly” here and describes how the displaying happens. It is used adverbially. Example: Det fungerer korrekt. — “It works correctly.” på skærmen means “on the screen.” skærmen is the definite singular form of the noun skærm, “screen”: en skærm means “a screen,” while skærmen means “the screen.” The preposition på is used here for something displayed on a screen. Example: Billedet vises på skærmen. — “The image is displayed on the screen.” så connects the preceding situation with its result: “so” or “therefore.” It does not by itself specify what caused the display to be correct. er vi means “we are” here, not a question. er is the present form of være, “to be,” and vi means “we.” In så er vi klar, the finite verb comes before the subject, as commonly happens when an initial connector or other element occupies the first position. This order differs from the question Er vi klar? — “Are we ready?” klar means “ready” or, in this context, “set.” It is the predicative description after er. The example Er du klar? means “Are you ready?”; the supplied utterance uses klar to describe the group referred to by vi as set. Together, Det vises korrekt på skærmen presents the display as functioning correctly on the screen. så introduces the consequence, and er vi klar says that the group referred to by vi is set. The whole utterance means: “The screen is showing correctly, so we’re set.”

7. Gem en sikkerhedskopi af dine slides på en anden enhed, bare for en sikkerheds skyld.

   Keep a backup copy of your slides on a second device, just in case.

   Gem

   keep; save

   sikkerhedskopi

   backup copy

   slides

   slides

   anden

   another; different

   enhed

   device

   bare

   just; simply

   for en sikkerheds skyld

   just in case

   More detail

   Gem is the imperative of gemme, “to save” or “to keep.” The imperative gives a direct instruction and normally has the same short form for singular and plural addressees. Example: Gem filen. — “Save the file.” Sikkerhedskopi means a backup copy: an extra copy kept so the material can be recovered if the main copy is lost or damaged. Its plural is sikkerhedskopier. The phrase en sikkerhedskopi contains the indefinite article en and the noun; the article does not by itself state a numeric count. Slides is the plural of the borrowed noun slide, referring here to presentation slides. The possessive form dine in the sentence means “your” and agrees with this plural noun. Example: Jeg gennemgår mine slides. — “I review my slides.” Anden means “another” or “a different one.” In en anden enhed, it is the common-gender singular indefinite form agreeing with enhed. Its related forms include andet with a neuter singular noun and andre with plural nouns; these forms are not interchangeable here. Enhed means “device” in this context, though it can also mean a unit or entity in other contexts. It is a common-gender noun: en enhed, plural enheder. The preposition på presents the device as the location where the copy is kept: på en anden enhed means “on another device.” Bare commonly means “just” or “simply.” Here it makes the recommendation sound limited in purpose: the backup is requested only as a precaution. It does not cancel the instruction expressed by Gem. For en sikkerheds skyld is a fixed Danish precautionary expression meaning “just in case” or “as a precaution.” It is best learned as a whole construction rather than translated word by word. Example: Tag en paraply med for en sikkerheds skyld. — “Take an umbrella with you just in case.” Together, Gem en sikkerhedskopi af dine slides means “Keep/save a backup copy of your slides.” Af links the copy to the material copied, and på en anden enhed specifies that the copy should be kept on another device. The final construction, bare for en sikkerheds skyld, gives the precautionary reason. Thus the complete utterance is an instruction: “Keep a backup copy of your slides on a second device, just in case.”

8. Jeg lægger en kopi på en anden enhed, før jeg begynder.

   I'll put one on another device before I start.

   Jeg

   I

   lægger

   put / place

   en kopi

   a copy

   på

   on

   anden

   another / different

   enhed

   device

   før

   before

   begynder

   start / begin

   More detail

   Jeg means “I” and is the subject of the main clause. It is the first-person singular pronoun; it does not itself identify anything beyond the speaker. lægger is the present-tense form of lægge, “to put” or “to place.” In this sentence it describes putting the copy on the device. Danish present tense can also express a planned or expected future action, which gives the intended “I’ll put” here. Example: Jeg lægger bogen på bordet. — “I put the book on the table.” en kopi means “a copy.” Kopi is a common-gender noun, and en is its indefinite singular article. The article marks an indefinite item; it does not by itself assert a numerical count in the English sense. In this context, the fixed translation and the preceding sentence identify the item as a backup copy. på is the preposition “on.” Here it marks the device as the place where the copy is put. The same preposition can have other uses in Danish, so its exact English rendering depends on the relation expressed. anden is the common-gender singular form used in en anden ..., meaning “another” or “a different.” It modifies enhed, so the form agrees with that noun’s common-gender singular form. Compare en anden enhed — “another device” — with et andet ..., used before a neuter singular noun. enhed means “device” here. It is a common-gender noun: en enhed is the indefinite singular, while enheder is the plural form. Example: Enheden er klar. — “The device is ready.” før means “before” and introduces an event that occurs later than the main action. Here, putting the copy happens before beginning. It links the main clause to the following subordinate clause. begynder is the present-tense form of begynde, “to begin” or “to start.” The subject is jeg, understood in the subordinate clause: “before I start.” Danish present forms of verbs do not take a separate first-person ending here; jeg begynder uses the same present form as other subjects in the relevant present-tense pattern. Example: Jeg begynder nu. — “I’m starting now.” Together, Jeg lægger en kopi på en anden enhed means “I’ll put a copy on another device.” før jeg begynder adds the time relation “before I start,” so the whole utterance means: “I’ll put one on another device before I start.”

9. Kan du tage adapteren med tilbage efter sessionen? Jeg skal bruge den senere.

   Could you bring the adapter back after the session? I need it later.

   Kan du

   could you…?

   tage … med tilbage

   bring … back

   adapteren

   the adapter

   efter

   after

   sessionen

   the session

   Jeg skal

   I need to…

   bruge

   use / need

   den

   it

   senere

   later

   More detail

   Kan du combines kan, the present form of kunne (“can, be able to”), with du (“you”). In this question, the combination is a request conventionally translated as “could you…?” Danish places the infinitive directly after this modal: Kan du komme? = “Can/could you come?” tage med tilbage is the reusable action pattern “bring/take along back.” tage is the infinitive of tage (“take”), med adds the idea of taking something along, and tilbage means “back.” The object is understood between the two parts here: tage adapteren med tilbage = “bring the adapter back.” After kan, the infinitive has no at. adapteren is the definite singular form of adapter, meaning “the adapter.” The ending -en marks definite singular for this noun: en adapter = “an adapter,” adapteren = “the adapter.” efter means “after” and introduces the later time point in efter sessionen, “after the session.” sessionen is the definite singular form of session: en session = “a session,” sessionen = “the session.” Jeg skal combines jeg (“I”) with skal, the present form of skulle. With a following infinitive, skal can express a need or requirement; in this sentence, Jeg skal bruge means “I need.” For example, Jeg skal arbejde means “I need to work” or, in another context, “I am going to work,” so the following verb and context help determine the intended reading. bruge is the infinitive of bruge, “use.” In skal bruge, it contributes the thing that is needed: Jeg skal bruge en pen = “I need a pen.” The combination can therefore mean “need to use” when the object is an action, or simply “need” when the object is a thing, as in this sentence. den is a third-person singular pronoun used here for the adapter, matching the fixed translation and the surrounding context. Danish uses den for a singular common-gender referent; det is the corresponding form for a neuter-gender referent. Here den is the object of bruge: “use it.” senere means “later.” It is an adverb and does not change form for the person or number of the person who needs the adapter. For example, Jeg gør det senere means “I’ll do it later.” Together, Kan du tage adapteren med tilbage efter sessionen? asks the addressee to bring the adapter back after the session. Jeg skal bruge den senere. then says that the speaker needs to use it later, with den referring to the adapter. The whole utterance is therefore: “Could you bring the adapter back after the session? I need it later.”

10. Jeg afleverer den tilbage, så snart sessionen er slut.

    I'll return it as soon as the session ends.

    Jeg

    I

    afleverer … tilbage

    return ... back

    den

    it

    så snart

    as soon as

    sessionen

    the session

    er … slut

    is over

    More detail

    Jeg means “I” and is the first-person singular subject pronoun. It identifies the speaker as the person carrying out the action. Example: Jeg kommer senere. — “I’m coming later.” afleverer is the present-tense form of aflevere, “to hand in, deliver, or return.” In this sentence it refers to the speaker’s intended return of an item. Danish present tense can also express a planned or expected future action, so it corresponds here to “I’ll return.” Example: Jeg afleverer nøglen i morgen. — “I’ll return the key tomorrow.” den is a singular common-gender pronoun meaning “it” or “that one.” Here, the fixed translation and the preceding context identify its referent as the adapter. The form den agrees with the common-gender singular noun it replaces; it does not itself mean “adapter.” tilbage means “back” and, together with afleverer, completes the reusable idea “return something.” The two words are separated in the sentence but work together: aflevere ... tilbage means to return or hand something back. Example: Hun afleverer bogen tilbage. — “She returns the book.” så snart is a conjunction meaning “as soon as.” It introduces the time clause that specifies when the return will happen. Example: Jeg ringer, så snart jeg er hjemme. — “I’ll call as soon as I’m home.” sessionen means “the session.” session is the noun’s base form, and the ending -en marks the definite singular form: session → sessionen, “the session.” er slut literally corresponds to “is over” or “is finished.” er is the present form of være, “to be,” while slut describes the session as ended. This is a common Danish pattern for saying that an event is over. Example: Mødet er slut. — “The meeting is over.” Together, Jeg afleverer den tilbage means “I’ll return it,” and så snart sessionen er slut adds the time condition “as soon as the session ends.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I’ll return it as soon as the session ends.”

11. Det burde give dig én ting mindre at bekymre dig om.

    That should give you one less thing to worry about.

    Det

    That

    burde

    should

    give

    give

    dig

    you

    én

    one

    ting

    thing

    mindre

    less; fewer

    at bekymre dig om

    to worry about

    More detail

    Det means “that” here, matching the fixed translation. The supplied context does not uniquely identify a particular referent, so the form should not be assigned a specific noun. Danish det can also mean “it” in other contexts. burde expresses “should” here and presents the result as expected. It is a modal form and does not change for person or number. Example: Det burde virke. — “That should work.” give means “give.” After the modal burde, Danish uses the infinitive without at: burde give. Example: Hun giver ham bogen. — “She gives him the book.” dig means “you” as the object receiving something from give. The subject form is du, as in Du kommer. — “You are coming.” én means “one” here. The accent marks the numeral and distinguishes it from the indefinite article en when that distinction is useful. The noun ting is a common-gender noun, as shown by en ting; et is used with neuter nouns, such as et hus — “a house.” ting means “thing.” Its plural has the same form: en ting — “one thing,” to ting — “two things.” mindre means “less” here and forms the pattern én ting mindre, “one thing less.” It is the comparative form related to lille: lille — “small/little,” mindre — “smaller/less,” mindst — “smallest/least.” With a countable noun, the same pattern can express one fewer item. Example: én bog mindre — “one book fewer.” at bekymre dig om is an infinitive clause meaning “to worry about.” The verb is bekymre, and at marks the infinitive. Danish uses bekymre sig om for third-person reflexive reference, but with second-person you, the corresponding object/reflexive form is dig, not a changed form of sig. Here dig refers back to the “you” who is to worry. Example: Du behøver ikke at bekymre dig om det. — “You do not need to worry about it.” Together, give dig means “give you,” and én ting mindre at bekymre dig om means “one thing less to worry about.” The complete utterance means: “That should give you one less thing to worry about.”