Checking an apartment before a long trip | Learn Danish in English

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Use Checking an apartment before a long trip to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Vi er væk i flere dage, så lad os tjekke lejligheden en gang til.

vee air VEK ee FLEH-reh DAI-eh, soh lah oss CHEH-keh LIE-lee-heh-den en gahng TEEL. We'll be away for several days, so let's double-check the apartment.

Jeg har taget stikkene ud af de små apparater og slukket for komfuret.

yay hah TAI-uhd STEH-guh-nuh ood ah deh smoh ah-pah-RAH-tuh ah SLOO-guhd foh kom-FOO-uhd. I unplugged the small appliances and turned off the stove.

Er altandøren og vinduerne i soveværelset forsvarligt låst?

air AL-tan-der-en oh VIN-oo-uh-nuh ee SOH-veh-vair-el-suhd fohr-SVAH-lee LOHST? Are the balcony door and bedroom windows secure?

Altandøren er låst, og jeg tjekker vinduerne i soveværelset nu.

AL-tan-der-en air LOHST, oh yay CHEH-kuh VIN-oo-uh-nuh ee SOH-veh-vair-el-suhd noo. The balcony door is locked, and I will check the bedroom windows now.

Skal vi skrue ned for termostaten, mens vi er væk?

skahl vee SKROO-eh nayd foh teh-moh-STAI-den, mens vee air VEK? Should we lower the thermostat while we are gone?

Skru den længere ned, men ikke så langt ned, at lejligheden bliver for kold.

skroo den LANG-uh-uh nayd, men EE-keh soh lahngt nayd, at LIE-lee-heh-den BLEE-uh foh KOHLT. Set it lower, but not so low that the apartment gets too cold.

Jeg har også bedt vores nabo om at hente eventuelle pakker.

yay hah OH-soh bet VOH-uhs NAI-boh om at HEN-teh eh-VEN-tuh-lee PAH-guh. I also asked our neighbor to collect any packages.

Det får lejligheden til at se beboet ud, mens vi er væk.

deh foh LIE-lee-heh-den teel at say beh-BOH-uhd ood, mens vee air VEK. That helps the place look occupied while we are away.

Nu føler jeg mig mere afslappet ved at tage af sted.

noo FUR-uh yay myai MAI-uh ahf-SLAH-buhd veh at TAI-eh ahf STAYD. Now I feel more relaxed about leaving.

Denne tjekliste tog lidt tid, men det var det værd.

DEN-eh CHEG-lis-teh toh leest teed, men deh vah deh VAIR. This checklist took a little time, but it was worth it.

Word by Word

Vi “Vi” means “we” and refers to the two people speaking together in “Vi er væk”. It is used as the subject when the speaker includes themselves and at least one other person.

er “er” means “are” in “Vi er væk” and “is” in “Er altandøren ... låst?”. The form changes its English translation according to the subject, so it is useful in both statements and questions about a current state.

væk “væk” means “away” or “gone” in “Vi er væk i flere dage”. It describes being absent from a place and is useful when explaining that someone will not be present.

i “i” means “for” in “i flere dage”, expressing a period of time rather than a location. Use this pattern when stating how long a situation will continue.

flere “flere” means “several” in “flere dage”, indicating more than a few days without giving an exact number. It commonly comes before a plural noun when describing an unspecified number.

dage “dage” means “days” in “i flere dage”. It is the plural time word used here to state the length of the absence.

så “så” means “so” in “så lad os tjekke lejligheden en gang til”, linking the absence to the suggestion that follows. Use it to introduce a consequence or a practical next step.

lad “lad” means “let” in the suggestion “lad os tjekke lejligheden en gang til”. Together with “os” and an infinitive, it is used to suggest doing something together.

os “os” means “us” in “lad os tjekke lejligheden en gang til”. In this suggestion, it identifies the people who should carry out the action, so it is useful when proposing a shared activity.

tjekke “tjekke” means “check” in “lad os tjekke lejligheden en gang til”. It is the action word used after “lad os”, and the same pattern can be used when suggesting that people inspect something together.

lejligheden “lejligheden” means “the apartment” in “tjekke lejligheden en gang til”. The form refers to the specific apartment already understood in the situation, which is useful when checking a known place.

en “en” means “a” or “one” in “en gang til”. Inside this expression, it helps refer to one more occasion when the check is repeated.

gang “gang” means “time” or “occasion” in “en gang til”. With this wording, it helps express that something should happen once more, a useful pattern for repeating an action.

til “til” contributes the meaning “again” in the expression “en gang til”. The full expression is used when asking or deciding to repeat an action.

Jeg “Jeg” means “I” in “Jeg har taget stikkene ud”. It identifies the speaker as the person who performed the action, and it is used as the subject of a statement about oneself.

har “har” means “have” in “Jeg har taget stikkene ud af de små apparater”. Here it combines with the following completed-action forms to report what the speaker has done, a common way to give a status update.

taget “taget” means “taken” in “taget stikkene ud af de små apparater”, where the action is understood as removing the plugs. This form is useful when reporting that something has been taken out or removed.

stikkene “stikkene” means “the plugs” in “taget stikkene ud af de små apparater”. It refers to the specific plugs belonging to the small appliances, useful when discussing electrical safety before leaving.

ud “ud” means “out” in “taget stikkene ud af de små apparater”. It marks movement or removal from inside or from connection, and is useful in instructions about taking something out.

af “af” means “out of” or “from” in “ud af de små apparater”. It identifies the source from which the plugs are removed, a useful pattern when describing removal from something.

de “de” means “the” before the plural noun phrase “de små apparater”. It points to the particular group of appliances being discussed, which is useful when referring to known objects.

små “små” means “small” in “de små apparater”. It describes the appliances and appears before the noun, a useful word order for describing objects.

apparater “apparater” means “appliances” or “devices” in “de små apparater”. It refers here to small electrical household devices, useful when making a safety check before a trip.

og “og” means “and” in “de små apparater og slukket for komfuret”. It joins two completed safety actions in the same report.

slukket “slukket” means “turned off” in “slukket for komfuret”. It reports that the stove is no longer operating, which is useful when confirming that an appliance is safe before leaving.

for In “slukket for komfuret”, “for” belongs to the expression used for switching something off and marks the stove as the affected object. In “for kold”, it means “too” and marks an excessive degree, so the surrounding words determine its function.

komfuret “komfuret” means “the stove” in “slukket for komfuret”. It refers to the specific stove in the apartment, useful when checking that cooking equipment has been turned off.

altandøren “altandøren” means “the balcony door” in “Altandøren er låst”. It refers to the particular door leading to the balcony, useful when checking entrances before a trip.

vinduerne “vinduerne” means “the windows” in “vinduerne i soveværelset”. It refers to the specific bedroom windows, useful when listing parts of an apartment that need to be secured.

soveværelset “soveværelset” means “the bedroom” in “vinduerne i soveværelset”. It identifies which windows are meant, a useful pattern for locating something in a home.

forsvarligt “forsvarligt” means “securely” or “safely” in “forsvarligt låst”. It describes the required standard of locking, useful when checking whether a door or window is properly secured.

låst “låst” means “locked” in “forsvarligt låst” and “Altandøren er låst”. It describes a secured state, useful when confirming the condition of a door or window.

tjekker “tjekker” means “check” or “am checking” in “jeg tjekker vinduerne i soveværelset nu”. It presents the checking as the action the speaker is carrying out now, useful in a live status update.

nu “nu” means “now” in “jeg tjekker vinduerne i soveværelset nu”. It places the action at the present moment, useful when saying what someone is doing immediately.

Skal “Skal” means “should” in “Skal vi skrue ned for termostaten?”. With “vi”, it introduces a question about whether the speakers ought to take an action, useful for making a joint decision.

skrue “skrue” means “turn” or “adjust” in “skrue ned for termostaten”. Together with “ned”, it describes lowering a setting, useful when discussing a thermostat or another adjustable control.

ned “ned” means “down” in “skrue ned for termostaten”. It gives the direction of the adjustment, so it is useful with actions that reduce a level or setting.

termostaten “termostaten” means “the thermostat” in “skrue ned for termostaten”. It identifies the specific control whose setting should be lowered, useful when preparing a home for absence.

mens “mens” means “while” in “mens vi er væk”. It introduces a time period during which another situation applies, useful for describing what happens during an absence.

Skru “Skru” means “turn down” or “lower” in the instruction “Skru den længere ned”. It is used to give a direct instruction about reducing a setting, here the thermostat setting.

den “den” means “it” or “that one” in “Skru den længere ned”, referring back to the thermostat. This pronoun is useful when the object is already known and does not need to be repeated.

længere “længere” means “further” in “Skru den længere ned”. It says that the setting should be lowered beyond its current level, useful when adjusting something in stages.

men “men” means “but” in “men ikke så langt ned”. It introduces a limit or correction to the instruction before it, useful when giving an instruction with an important restriction.

ikke “ikke” means “not” in “ikke så langt ned”. It negates the following degree of adjustment, useful for preventing an action from going too far.

langt “langt” means “far” or “to a great extent” in “ikke så langt ned”. Here it measures how far the thermostat should be lowered, useful when setting a limit on an adjustment.

at “at” means “that” in “så langt ned, at lejligheden bliver for kold”. It introduces the result clause explaining what must not happen, useful in a pattern that sets a degree and its consequence.

bliver “bliver” means “becomes” or “gets” in “lejligheden bliver for kold”. It describes a change into a new condition, useful when discussing how an adjustment may affect something.

kold “kold” means “cold” in “lejligheden bliver for kold”. It describes the resulting temperature, and with “for” it expresses that the apartment would become excessively cold.

også “også” means “also” in “Jeg har også bedt vores nabo ...”. It adds another action to the actions already mentioned, useful when giving a complete account of preparations.

bedt “bedt” means “asked” in “bedt vores nabo om at hente eventuelle pakker”. It reports a request made to another person, useful when explaining that someone has arranged help.

vores “vores” means “our” in “vores nabo”. It shows that the neighbor is connected to both speakers, useful when identifying a person shared by the people in the conversation.

nabo “nabo” means “neighbor” in “vores nabo”. It identifies the nearby person asked to help with the packages, useful when arranging practical assistance at home.

om “om” is part of the request pattern “bedt vores nabo om at hente eventuelle pakker”. It introduces the action that the neighbor was asked to perform, useful when reporting or making a request.

hente “hente” means “collect” or “pick up” in “om at hente eventuelle pakker”. It names the action requested from the neighbor, useful for arranging the collection of items.

eventuelle “eventuelle” means “any” or “possible” in “eventuelle pakker”. It refers to packages that may arrive or be present, without claiming that there definitely are any.

pakker “pakker” means “packages” in “eventuelle pakker”. It refers to deliveries that the neighbor may collect, useful when arranging delivery handling during an absence.

Det “Det” means “that” or “it” in “Det får lejligheden til at se beboet ud”. It points back to the package-collection arrangement just mentioned, useful when commenting on the effect of a previous action.

får “får” means “makes” or “causes” in “får lejligheden til at se beboet ud”. It introduces the result produced by the arrangement, useful in the pattern “får ... til at ...” when one thing causes another appearance or action.

se “se” means “look” or “appear” in “til at se beboet ud”. It describes how the apartment appears to others, useful when talking about the impression a place gives.

beboet “beboet” means “occupied” or “lived-in” in “se beboet ud”. It describes the appearance of the apartment when people want it to seem as though someone is living there.

føler “føler” means “feel” in “Nu føler jeg mig mere afslappet”. It describes the speaker’s emotional state, useful when explaining how a completed preparation affects one’s feelings.

mig “mig” means “me” or “myself” in “føler jeg mig mere afslappet”. It refers back to the speaker as the person experiencing the feeling, useful with expressions about one’s own state.

mere “mere” means “more” in “mere afslappet”. It shows that the speaker feels relaxed to a greater degree than before, useful when describing a change in feelings.

afslappet “afslappet” means “relaxed” in “mere afslappet”. It describes the speaker’s calmer emotional state after the apartment has been checked, useful when expressing relief.

ved “ved” means “about” or “in connection with” in “afslappet ved at tage af sted”. It links the feeling of being relaxed to the act of leaving, useful when describing an emotional response to an action.

tage af sted “tage af sted” is the expression meaning “leave” or “depart” in “ved at tage af sted”. “tage” supplies the action, “af” gives the sense of away or off, and “sted” means place; together they form the expression used when someone sets off.

Denne “Denne” means “this” in “Denne tjekliste”. It points to the specific checklist being discussed, useful when identifying one nearby or currently relevant item.

tjekliste “tjekliste” means “checklist” in “Denne tjekliste tog lidt tid”. It refers to the written or mental list used to check the apartment, useful for organizing several preparations.

tog “tog” means “took” in “Denne tjekliste tog lidt tid”. It says that the checklist required some time, useful when describing how long an activity required in the past.

lidt “lidt” means “a little” in “tog lidt tid”. It indicates a small amount without giving an exact measurement, useful when describing a limited amount of time.

tid “tid” means “time” in “tog lidt tid”. It is the amount required by the checklist, useful in expressions about how long an activity requires.

var “var” means “was” in “det var det værd”. It describes the value of the completed checklist in the past, useful when evaluating something that has already happened.

værd “værd” means “worth” in “det var det værd”. The expression says that the time and effort were worthwhile, useful when concluding that an activity produced enough benefit to justify doing it.

Grammar Points

Lad os + infinitiv

Lad os tjekke lejligheden en gang til.

lahd oss CHEH-keh LIE-lee-heh-den en gahng TEEL.

Let's check the apartment once again.

Efter lad os bruger man verbets infinitiv: lad os tjekke. Det svarer til engelsk "let's check".

forsvarligt + participium/adjektiv

Altandøren er forsvarligt låst.

AL-tan-der-en air fohr-SVAH-lee LOHST.

The balcony door is securely locked.

Forsvarligt er et adverbium, der beskriver hvordan døren er låst; låst er et adjektiv.

Danish Vocabulary

altandøren noun

AL-tan-der-en the balcony door

Gender: common

apparater noun

ah-pah-RAH-tuh appliances

Gender: neuter

dage noun

DAI-eh days

Gender: common

en gang til phrase

en gahng TEEL once again

flere det

FLEH-reh several

komfuret noun

kom-FOO-uhd the stove

Gender: neuter

lad os phrase

lahd oss let's

lejligheden noun

LIE-lee-heh-den the apartment

Gender: common

slukket for phrase

SLOO-guhd foh turned off

taget stikkene ud phrase

TAI-uhd STEH-guh-nuh ood unplugged

tjekke verb

CHEH-keh check

væk adv

VEK away

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

appliances

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apparater

days

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dage

check

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tjekke

several

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flere