Checking medicine instructions safely | Learn Danish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Jeg er ikke sikker på, at jeg forstår denne medicinetiket.

   I am not sure I understand this medicine label.

   Jeg er

   I am

   ikke sikker

   not sure

   på

   about

   forstår

   understand

   denne

   this

   medicinetiket

   medicine label

   More detail

   Jeg er is the first-person singular present form of være (“to be”): jeg er = “I am.” Danish present-tense verbs generally do not change for person, so er is also used with other subjects in the present tense. ikke sikker means “not sure” here. sikker is an adjective meaning “sure” or “certain.” The observed form is the singular common-gender form; the neuter singular form is sikkert, and the plural form is sikre. Ikke places the negation on this adjective phrase. på is a preposition that belongs here to the reusable pattern være sikker på, at ..., meaning “be sure/certain that ...”. The following at introduces the content of what the speaker is or is not sure about. forstår is the present form of forstå, “to understand.” In this sentence it means “understand” in the clause introduced by at. Danish does not add a separate present-tense ending to distinguish first-person singular from other persons: for example, jeg forstår and du forstår both use forstår. denne means “this” and is a singular demonstrative determiner. Its form agrees with the noun’s relevant noun class. Here it modifies medicinetiket, a common-gender noun. The plural form is disse, as in the example disse etiketter (“these labels”). medicinetiket is the noun “medicine label.” It is a compound formed from medicin (“medicine”) and etiket (“label”). With denne, the noun phrase does not use an indefinite article: denne medicinetiket means “this medicine label.” Together, Jeg er ikke sikker på, at jeg forstår denne medicinetiket means “I am not sure I understand this medicine label.” The structure is Jeg er ikke sikker på, at ... (“I am not sure that ...”), followed by the content clause jeg forstår denne medicinetiket (“I understand this medicine label”).

2. Ring til apotekeren, før du tager den næste dosis.

   Call the pharmacist before you take the next dose.

   Ring

   call

   apotekeren

   the pharmacist

   før

   before

   tager

   take

   næste

   next

   dosis

   dose

   More detail

   Ring is the imperative of ringe, “to call.” It gives a direct instruction to the implied listener. A reusable pattern is Ring til + person (“Call + person”); for example, Ring til lægen. — “Call the doctor.” apotekeren means “the pharmacist” here. The noun apoteker means “pharmacist,” and the ending -en marks a singular definite form: apoteker = “a pharmacist,” apotekeren = “the pharmacist.” The preposition til links the call to its intended recipient: ringe til nogen means “call someone.” før introduces the event that happens later than the call: før + clause means “before + clause.” For example, Læs vejledningen, før du begynder. — “Read the instructions before you begin.” du is the second-person singular subject, “you.” In the following clause, it is the person who takes the dose. Danish du is used for one addressee; the plural form is I. tager is the present-tense form of tage, “to take.” With du, the form is still tager: du tager = “you take.” After før, Danish uses this present form for an action viewed as occurring after the call, so the English translation naturally uses “before you take.” For example, Vent, før du går. — “Wait before you leave.” den is a singular common-gender form used with the definite noun phrase den næste dosis, “the next dose.” It identifies the dose as a particular one in the sequence, while næste specifies that it is the one coming next. The form den is not itself the noun’s meaning; it is the determiner that agrees with the noun phrase’s grammatical type. næste means “next” or “following.” It describes dosis, not the verb tager. In den næste dosis, it helps distinguish this dose from an earlier or already completed dose. For example, Tag den næste tablet om aftenen. — “Take the next tablet in the evening.” dosis means “dose,” the amount of medicine taken at one time. Its plural is doser, “doses.” The phrase den næste dosis is a noun phrase meaning “the next dose.” Together, Ring til apotekeren gives the instruction “Call the pharmacist,” and før du tager den næste dosis gives the time condition “before you take the next dose.” The whole utterance therefore means: “Call the pharmacist before you take the next dose.”

3. Jeg vil også spørge, om jeg bør undgå bestemte fødevarer.

   I also want to ask whether I should avoid certain foods.

   Jeg vil

   I want to

   også

   also

   spørge

   ask

   om

   whether

   bør

   should

   undgå

   avoid

   bestemte

   certain

   fødevarer

   foods

   More detail

   Jeg vil combines Jeg (“I”) with vil, the present form of ville. Here vil expresses a desire: “want to.” In this use, the following verb is in the infinitive without at. Example: Jeg vil læse. — “I want to read.” Vil can also express future meaning in other contexts, but the fixed translation supports the desire meaning here. også means “also” and adds this intention to something already relevant in the conversation. Its position here is after the subject-and-verb unit; its exact scope is understood from the sentence context. spørge is the infinitive “to ask.” After vil, Danish uses this infinitive directly: Jeg vil spørge. — “I want to ask.” The form is not marked for person; vil carries the finite verb function in this clause. om introduces an indirect yes-or-no question and means “whether” here. It is different from uses of om meaning “about” or referring to a time period. A reusable pattern is spørge, om ...: Hun spørger, om døren er åben. — “She asks whether the door is open.” bør means “should” or “ought to” here. It is the present form of burde and expresses advice or what is advisable. Danish modal verbs such as bør do not change form for the subject’s person or number. The next verb is an infinitive: Du bør vente. — “You should wait.” undgå is the infinitive “to avoid.” It takes the thing being avoided as its object: Du bør undgå sukker. — “You should avoid sugar.” In the fixed sentence, it is governed by bør, so the sequence is bør undgå (“should avoid”). bestemte means “certain” or “particular” here, rather than simply “some.” It is the plural form of the adjective bestemt, agreeing with the plural noun that follows. Example: Vi vælger bestemte dage. — “We choose certain days.” The adjective’s form is determined by the noun phrase’s number; bestemte is not the noun’s form. fødevarer means “foods” or “food products.” It is the plural of fødevare (“food product” or “food item”). The plural ending is part of fødevarer; the adjective bestemte separately shows plural agreement. Example: Butikken sælger fødevarer. — “The shop sells food products.” Together, Jeg vil også spørge means “I also want to ask.” The indirect-question clause om jeg bør undgå bestemte fødevarer means “whether I should avoid certain foods”: jeg is the subject of the embedded clause, bør expresses the advice being asked about, undgå is its infinitive, and bestemte fødevarer is the object of undgå. The complete utterance therefore means: “I also want to ask whether I should avoid certain foods.”

4. Det er værd at undersøge, især hvis etiketten nævner måltider.

   That is worth checking, especially if the label mentions meals.

   Det

   that

   er værd

   is worth

   undersøge

   check

   især hvis

   especially if

   etiketten

   the label

   nævner

   mentions

   måltider

   meals

   More detail

   Det means “that” here. It is a neuter singular demonstrative/pronoun, but the sentence does not identify exactly what it refers to. The same form can also be used in other impersonal Danish constructions, so do not treat it as a noun meaning “thing” by itself. er værd expresses the reusable pattern at være værd at + infinitive: “to be worth doing.” Er is the present form of være; værd is the adjective “worth” and does not change here for number or gender. Example: Det er værd at vente. — “It is worth waiting.” undersøge is the infinitive “to examine/check/investigate.” After værd at, it names the action that is worthwhile. The infinitive marker at belongs to the pattern; it is not part of the verb’s base form. Example: Det er værd at læse. — “It is worth reading.” især hvis introduces a condition with emphasis: “especially if.” Hvis means “if,” while især means “especially.” Example: Jeg går, hvis det regner. — “I will go if it rains.” etiketten means “the label.” It is the definite singular form of en etiket: en etiket → etiketten. In Danish, definiteness is commonly marked on the noun itself rather than with a separate word equivalent to “the.” Example: Etiketten er tydelig. — “The label is clear.” nævner means “mentions” in this sentence. It is the present-tense form of at nævne; the subject is etiketten, so the label is the one doing the mentioning. Example: Hun nævner navnet. — “She mentions the name.” måltider means “meals.” It is the indefinite plural of et måltid: et måltid → måltider; the definite plural is måltiderne, “the meals.” Example: Listen beskriver måltider. — “The list describes meals.” Together, Det er værd at undersøge says that checking or examining the unspecified “that” is worthwhile. især hvis etiketten nævner måltider adds the condition “especially if the label mentions meals.” The complete meaning is therefore: “That is worth checking, especially if the label mentions meals.”

5. Jeg fik en mild hovedpine, efter at jeg havde taget det.

   I had a mild headache after taking it.

   Jeg

   I

   fik

   had; got

   mild

   mild

   hovedpine

   headache

   efter at

   after

   havde

   had

   taget

   taken

   det

   it

   More detail

   Jeg is the first-person singular subject pronoun, “I.” Danish uses jeg for the speaker regardless of the speaker’s gender. Example: Jeg kommer. — “I am coming.” fik is the past-tense form of få (“get; receive; experience”). With a symptom such as hovedpine, fik means that the speaker developed or experienced it: “had a headache.” This is different from the ordinary possession meaning of have in contexts such as Jeg har en bog (“I have a book”). mild means “mild” and describes the following noun hovedpine. It is the basic form of the adjective; Danish adjectives can change form in other noun phrases, but this form is correct here with the noun phrase introduced by en. hovedpine means “headache.” It is a compound noun built from hoved (“head”) and pine (“pain”), but it functions as one noun. The common reusable phrase få hovedpine means “get/develop a headache.” efter at introduces a clause meaning “after.” It is followed here by its own subject and verb, rather than merely by a noun. Example: Efter at jeg spiste, gik jeg en tur. — “After I ate, I went for a walk.” havde is the past-tense form of have (“have”). In havde taget, it is an auxiliary: together with the past participle taget, it forms a past perfect construction. This places the taking before the headache in the sentence’s time sequence. taget is the past participle of tage (“take”). The form tage → tog → taget gives the infinitive, past tense, and past participle. Here taget is used with havde in havde taget, “had taken.” det is a third-person singular neuter object pronoun, meaning “it” here. Its specific referent is not identified in the fixed sentence, but the translation confirms that it refers to one relevant thing being taken. As an object, it follows the verb phrase: jeg havde taget det — “I had taken it.” Together, Jeg fik en mild hovedpine means “I had/developed a mild headache.” The clause efter at jeg havde taget det means “after I had taken it.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I had a mild headache after taking it.”

6. Så bør jeg nævne det.

   So I should bring that up.

   Så

   So / then

   bør jeg

   I should

   nævne

   mention / bring up

   det

   that / it

   More detail

   Så means “so” here: it connects this statement to what was said before and presents the following action as a consequence. Danish så can also mean “then” in other contexts, but “so” fits this utterance. bør jeg contains the modal verb bør (“should/ought to”) and the subject pronoun jeg (“I”). Bør expresses advice, expectation, or the speaker’s judgment that an action is appropriate; it is weaker than skal (“must/shall”). The modal is followed by an infinitive: Jeg bør spørge. — “I should ask.” Because Så comes first in this main clause, the finite verb comes before the subject: Så bør jeg ...; this is Danish main-clause verb–subject inversion after an initial element. nævne is the infinitive “mention” or “bring up.” After the modal bør, the infinitive appears without an infinitive marker such as “to” in English. The form nævne is the base form; for example, Jeg nævner det. means “I mention it,” while Jeg bør nævne det. means “I should mention it.” det is a neuter singular pronoun functioning as the object of nævne. In this context, the fixed translation identifies it as “that,” referring to the matter already under discussion; the pronoun itself does not name that matter. Danish uses det for a neuter singular referent, while den is used for a common-gender singular referent in corresponding uses. Together, Så bør jeg nævne det. forms So + should I + mention + that: “So I should bring that up.” The initial Så marks the conclusion, bør expresses the speaker’s judgment about the appropriate action, and nævne det specifies what should be mentioned.

7. Spørg, om det kan være en bivirkning, og hvilke advarselstegn du skal holde øje med.

   Ask whether it could be a side effect and what warning signs to watch for.

   Spørg

   ask

   om

   whether

   det kan være

   it could be

   bivirkning

   side effect

   hvilke

   which / what

   advarselstegn

   warning signs

   du skal

   you should

   holde øje med

   watch for

   More detail

   Spørg is the imperative of spørge, “to ask.” It gives a direct instruction to one or more listeners; Danish imperative forms do not mark the listener’s number. Example: Spørg lægen. — “Ask the doctor.” om introduces an indirect yes/no question, so spørg, om ... means “ask whether ...”. It is different from hvad (“what”), which asks for information rather than whether a proposition is true. Example: Spørg, om hun kommer. — “Ask whether she is coming.” det kan være means “it could be.” Here det is the neuter pronoun “it,” and kan expresses possibility; være is the infinitive “to be.” After the modal verb kan, the following verb stays in the infinitive. Example: Det kan være alvorligt. — “It could be serious.” en bivirkning means “a side effect.” The observed noun is bivirkning; its base form is also bivirkning, and en marks it as an indefinite common-gender noun phrase. The article does not by itself assert a numerical count; here the phrase presents side effect as a possible classification. Example: Det kan være en bivirkning. — “It could be a side effect.” hvilke means “which” or “what” when asking about more than one item. It agrees with the plural noun phrase that follows, advarselstegn; compare singular hvilket tegn — “which sign” — with plural hvilke tegn — “which signs.” advarselstegn means “warning signs.” In this sentence it is a plural indefinite form; Danish uses the same visible form for the singular indefinite noun in et advarselstegn and the plural indefinite form advarselstegn, while the definite plural is advarselstegnene. Example: Kend advarselstegnene. — “Know the warning signs.” du skal means “you should” here. du is the second-person singular pronoun, and skal is the present form of skulle; with an infinitive it can express what someone is expected or advised to do. Its exact force depends on context, so in this sentence the fixed meaning is the instruction “you should watch for,” not a claim about a separate future event. Example: Du skal ringe til lægen. — “You should call the doctor.” holde øje med is a reusable expression meaning “to watch for” or “to keep an eye on.” holde is the infinitive of holde, and it follows skal; med introduces what is being watched. The expression is a construction, so it is more natural here than translating each word independently. Example: Hold øje med feber. — “Watch for fever.” Together, Spørg, om det kan være en bivirkning gives the first requested point: ask whether it could be a side effect. After og, hvilke advarselstegn du skal holde øje med is an indirect question asking which warning signs you should watch for. The whole utterance is therefore: “Ask whether it could be a side effect and what warning signs to watch for.”

8. Det føles risikabelt at gætte, især når det gælder medicin.

   Guessing feels risky, especially with medicine.

   Det føles

   it feels

   risikabelt

   risky

   gætte

   guess

   især

   especially

   når det gælder

   when it comes to

   medicin

   medicine

   More detail

   Det føles introduces an impression: “it feels.” Here det is the anticipatory subject, while the later infinitive phrase says what feels risky. føles is the present-tense s-form of føle; Danish present verbs do not change for person or number. Example: Det føles godt. — “It feels good.” risikabelt means “risky” here. Its base form is risikabel; the -t form is used because the adjective describes neuter det in this construction. This is the adjective’s form, not an inflection of a nearby noun. Example: Det er farligt. — “It is dangerous.” gætte is the infinitive “to guess.” The preceding at marks the infinitive: at gætte = “to guess.” Together with anticipatory det, this makes guessing the activity that feels risky. Example: Det er svært at vælge. — “It is difficult to choose.” især means “especially” and highlights the following situation as a particularly relevant case. It does not change the truth of the main statement; it adds emphasis to the medicine-related situation. når det gælder is a reusable construction meaning “when it comes to” or “when it concerns.” når introduces a situation or condition, while det gælder uses gælder in the sense “concerns/is relevant to.” Example: Når det gælder sikkerhed, skal man være forsigtig. — “When it comes to safety, one should be careful.” medicin means “medicine” or “medication” here. It commonly refers to medicine as a substance or general topic, without asserting a particular quantity. Example: Hun tager medicin. — “She takes medication.” Together, Det føles risikabelt at gætte means “Guessing feels risky.” især når det gælder medicin adds the especially relevant area: “especially when it comes to medicine.” The complete utterance therefore means: “Guessing feels risky, especially with medicine.”

9. En fagperson kan forklare risiciene mere tydeligt.

   A professional can explain the risks more clearly.

   fagperson

   professional

   kan

   can

   forklare

   explain

   risiciene

   the risks

   mere tydeligt

   more clearly

   More detail

   fagperson means “professional” here: a person with relevant professional expertise. It is a compound noun, and its definite form is fagpersonen (“the professional”); the supplied form is indefinite and does not itself specify one particular professional. Example: Hun er fagperson på området. — “She is a professional in the field.” kan expresses ability or possibility: “can.” It is the present-tense form of kunne and is followed here by the infinitive forklare. Danish modal verbs such as kan normally take an infinitive without at: Jeg kan forklare det. — “I can explain it.” forklare is the infinitive “to explain.” The form stays after kan; the modal carries the finite tense, while forklare names the action. Example: Hun kan forklare problemet. — “She can explain the problem.” risiciene means “the risks” in this sentence. Its base noun is risiko; the plural is risici, and the definite plural adds -ene: risici → risiciene. The definite form presents the risks as identifiable in the situation, without specifying further here which risks they are. mere tydeligt means “more clearly.” tydeligt is the form of tydelig used adverbially here, describing how the explaining is done. mere forms the comparative analytically: tydelig/tydeligt → mere tydelig/mere tydeligt (“clearer”), rather than adding a comparative ending to this form. Example: Forklar det mere tydeligt. — “Explain it more clearly.” Together, En fagperson is the subject, kan marks ability, and forklare gives the action. risiciene is what is explained, while mere tydeligt says that the explanation is given with greater clarity. The complete meaning is: “A professional can explain the risks more clearly.”

10. Jeg kan skrive spørgsmålene ned, før jeg ringer.

    I can write down the questions before calling.

    Jeg kan

    I can

    skrive … ned

    write down

    spørgsmålene

    the questions

    før

    before

    ringer

    call

    More detail

    Jeg kan combines the subject jeg (“I”) with kan, the present-tense form of kunne (“can; be able to”). This construction expresses present ability or possibility. Danish modal verbs such as kan are followed by an infinitive without at: Jeg kan skrive means “I can write.” skrive is the infinitive of skrive (“write”). The infinitive is unchanged here because it follows the modal kan. For example, Jeg kan læse means “I can read.” ned means “down” and, together with skrive, forms the separable verb construction skrive ned, “write down.” The meaning comes from the combination, not from ned alone. In this sentence, skrive and ned are separated because the modal construction places the lexical verb before the adverb: kan skrive ... ned. spørgsmålene means “the questions.” Its base form is spørgsmål (“question/questions”); the ending -ene marks definite plural in this noun, so it refers to questions presented as identifiable in the situation. Compare spørgsmål (“question/questions” in an indefinite form) with spørgsmålet (“the question,” definite singular). The noun, not ned, carries the number and definiteness marking here. før is a conjunction meaning “before.” It introduces the following clause and places that clause’s event earlier in time than the main action. A reusable pattern is før + subject + finite verb, as in før jeg går (“before I leave”). ringer is the present-tense form of ringe (“call”). It agrees with the subject jeg in the clause jeg ringer; Danish present-tense verb forms generally do not change for person, so jeg ringer means “I call/am calling,” while de ringer means “they call/are calling.” Here, the present form appears in a time clause introduced by før, referring to the calling that is to happen before the writing-down action. Together, Jeg kan skrive spørgsmålene ned means “I can write the questions down.” The subordinate clause før jeg ringer adds “before I call.” Thus the complete utterance means: “I can write down the questions before calling.”

11. Det burde gøre det lettere at følge med i samtalen.

    That should make the call easier to follow.

    Det burde

    That should

    gøre

    make

    lettere

    easier

    følge med

    follow along

    samtalen

    the conversation

    More detail

    Det burde means “That should” here. Det is the pronoun used for the understood thing or action referred to as “that”; the fixed translation supports this reading. Burde is the modal form corresponding to bør and expresses an expected or intended result, not a firm guarantee. Danish modals are followed by an infinitive: burde gøre (“should make/do”). gøre means “make” in this construction. Its infinitive follows burde, and the pattern gøre det + adjective + at ... means “make it + adjective + to ...”. Example: Det gør det nemmere at forstå. — “It makes it easier to understand.” lettere means “easier” here. It is the comparative form of let (“easy”): let → lettere (“easier”) → lettest (“easiest”). The comparison is part of the construction gøre det lettere at ..., which describes reducing the difficulty of an activity. følge med is a reusable expression meaning “follow along” or “keep up”. With a conversation, it means being able to follow what is being said. The infinitive marker at introduces the activity: at følge med (“to follow along”). samtalen means “the conversation”. It is the singular definite form of samtale (“conversation”); the ending -en marks definiteness in this noun, rather than a separate word meaning “the”. In the fixed translation, the conversation is rendered as “the call”, which is compatible with the intended communication context. Together, Det burde gøre det lettere at følge med i samtalen means “That should make it easier to follow the conversation.” The structure is: “That should make it easier to follow along in the conversation.”