Adjusting screen sharing for clarity | Learn Danish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Din skærm er synlig, men teksten i regnearket ser ret lille ud.

   Your screen is visible, but the spreadsheet text looks rather small.

   Din

   your

   skærm

   screen

   er synlig

   is visible

   teksten

   the text

   regnearket

   the spreadsheet

   ser … ud

   looks / seems

   ret

   rather / quite

   lille

   small

   More detail

   Din is the second-person singular possessive form, meaning “your” when addressing one person. It is used with the possessed noun here: Din skærm = “your screen.” skærm means “screen.” Its indefinite singular form is en skærm; with din, the noun remains singular and does not take the definite ending. Example: Min skærm er stor. — “My screen is large.” er synlig uses er, the present form of være (“be”), with synlig (“visible”). Synlig is an adjective; with a common-gender singular noun such as skærm, this is its common-singular form. The neuter singular form is synligt, and the plural/definite form is synlige. Example: Billedet er synligt. — “The image is visible.” teksten is the definite singular form of tekst (“text”): tekst → teksten. The ending -en marks a common-gender noun as definite, so it means “the text.” It is the subject of the second clause, not a possessive form. regnearket is the definite singular form of the neuter noun regneark (“spreadsheet”): regneark → regnearket. The preceding i means “in,” so i regnearket means “in the spreadsheet.” The noun’s definite ending is -et, rather than -en. ser ... ud is the Danish expression se ud, meaning “look” or “seem” when describing appearance. In the present tense, se becomes ser, while the particle ud stays separate: Det ser godt ud. — “It looks good.” The two parts belong together even though another word can occur between them. ret means “rather” or “quite” here and modifies the adjective that follows. It expresses a moderate degree: ret lille means “rather small,” not simply “small.” lille means “small.” Here it is the common-singular form used after ser ... ud with teksten. Useful forms include lille for common singular, lille for neuter singular, and små for plural. Example: Bøgerne er små. — “The books are small.” The conjunction men connects two contrasting clauses: Din skærm er synlig (“Your screen is visible”) and teksten i regnearket ser ret lille ud (“the text in the spreadsheet looks rather small”). Together, the utterance says: “Your screen is visible, but the spreadsheet text looks rather small.”

2. Jeg kan dog zoome ind.

   I can zoom in, though.

   Jeg kan

   I can

   dog

   though

   zoome ind

   zoom in

   More detail

   Jeg kan combines the first-person singular pronoun Jeg (“I”) with kan, the present-tense form of the modal verb kunne (“can; be able to”). Here, kan expresses ability, and a modal is followed by an infinitive without an equivalent of “to”: Jeg kan zoome = “I can zoom.” Compare Jeg kan se det = “I can see it.” Jeg identifies the speaker as the actor; it does not by itself specify anything about other participants. dog is an adverb meaning “though” here. It appears between the modal verb and the infinitive phrase, and it connects this statement concessively with the surrounding point about the small spreadsheet text. In other contexts, dog can also correspond to “however,” but “though” is the intended sense here. zoome ind is the infinitive expression “zoom in.” zoome is the infinitive form of the verb zoome, while ind forms the verb-particle combination expressing zooming in. This is a reusable construction: Du kan zoome ind = “You can zoom in.” After kan, Danish uses the following verb in the infinitive. Together, Jeg kan + dog + zoome ind means “I can zoom in, though.” The Danish dog is medial, while the natural English translation places “though” at the end. The utterance states the speaker’s ability to zoom in; it does not state that the zoom has already happened.

3. Det kan dog få nogle få kolonner til at forsvinde fra visningen.

   It may push a few columns out of view.

   Det

   it

   kan

   may; can

   dog

   however; though

   få

   cause; get

   nogle

   some

   kolonner

   columns

   forsvinde

   disappear

   visningen

   the display; the view

   More detail

   Det is the Danish subject pronoun “it”. Here it is the subject of the possibility described in the sentence; the surrounding context supports an impersonal reference to the zooming/display behavior rather than identifying a particular noun. Danish det is neuter singular, but its exact referent must come from context. kan is the present-tense form of kunne, “can; may”. With an event as subject, as here, kan expresses possibility: “may”. For ability, it can express “can” as in Jeg kan zoome ind — “I can zoom in.” dog is an adverb meaning “however” or “though”. In this sentence it adds a contrast to the preceding possibility: the behavior may have this effect nevertheless. Its position after the subject is common in this kind of main clause. The first få is the causative verb få, whose basic meanings include “get” and “have”. In the construction få noget til at ..., it means “cause something to ...” or “make something ...”. The construction takes til at followed by an infinitive: få kolonner til at forsvinde means “cause columns to disappear”. Do not confuse this verb with the later få in nogle få, where få means “few”. nogle means “some” and introduces an unspecified quantity. Together with the following adjective få, nogle få means “a few”. The indefinite wording does not state an exact number. The second occurrence of få in nogle få kolonner is the adjective “few”, modifying kolonner. Its comparison is få — færre — færrest, “few” — “fewer” — “fewest”. In this sentence it describes a small, unspecified number of columns; it is not the causative verb discussed above. kolonner is the plural of kolonne, “column”. The plural form identifies more than one column. Example: Jeg ser tre kolonner — “I see three columns.” forsvinde is the infinitive of forsvinde, “disappear; vanish”. After til at, the infinitive gives the result caused by få: the columns become absent from the relevant view. Example: Skyerne forsvinder — “The clouds disappear.” visningen is the definite form of visning, “view; display”. The ending -en marks this noun as definite singular: “the view” or “the display”. With fra, the phrase fra visningen means “from the view/display”, describing what the columns disappear from. Putting the parts together, Det kan dog says “it may nevertheless”, få nogle få kolonner til at forsvinde says “cause a few columns to disappear”, and fra visningen specifies that they disappear from the display. The whole utterance therefore means: “It may nevertheless cause a few columns to disappear from view.”

4. Det fungerer, så længe de vigtigste tal stadig er synlige.

   That works as long as the key figures stay visible.

   Det

   that / it

   fungerer

   works

   så længe

   as long as

   vigtigste

   most important

   tal

   figures / numbers

   stadig

   still

   synlige

   visible

   More detail

   Det is a neuter singular pronoun meaning “that” or “it” here. Its exact referent is not identified by this sentence alone, so the form teaches the grammatical class rather than a specific object. Example: Det er klart. — “It is clear.” fungerer is the present-tense form of fungere, “to work” or “to function.” The ending -er is the regular present form for this verb. Example: Det fungerer godt. — “It works well.” så længe introduces a condition and means “as long as.” It connects the main statement with the condition that follows. Example: Du kan blive, så længe du vil. — “You can stay as long as you want.” vigtigste is the superlative form of vigtig, “important”: vigtig → vigtigere (“more important”) → vigtigst/vigtigste (“most important”). In de vigtigste tal, the form vigtigste appears with the definite plural noun phrase introduced by de; it describes the figures as the most important ones. Example: Det er den vigtigste del. — “It is the most important part.” tal is the noun for “numbers” or, in this context, “figures.” Its singular and plural forms are both tal; here the plural reading is supported by de vigtigste. Example: Tallene er korrekte. — “The figures are correct.” stadig means “still,” indicating that the situation continues to hold. Example: Hun arbejder stadig. — “She is still working.” synlige is the plural form of the adjective synlig, “visible.” It agrees with tal in the plural noun phrase de vigtigste tal. Example: Ordene er synlige. — “The words are visible.” Together, Det fungerer says that something works, and så længe de vigtigste tal stadig er synlige gives the condition: this remains true while the key figures continue to be visible. The complete meaning is “That works as long as the key figures stay visible.”

5. I så fald placerer jeg afsnittet om afvigelser først.

   In that case, I'll put the variance section first.

   I så fald

   in that case

   placerer

   place; put

   jeg

   I

   afsnittet

   the section

   afvigelser

   deviations; variances

   først

   first

   More detail

   I så fald is a fixed Danish expression meaning “in that case.” It introduces a consequence that applies under the condition just mentioned. A reusable pattern is i så fald + clause: “in that case + clause.” placerer is the present-tense form of placere, “to place” or “to put.” With jeg, the present form is jeg placerer; Danish can use this present form for a planned future action, which is why the translation uses “I’ll put.” The verb is regular here and does not itself mark future time. Example: Jeg placerer bogen her. — “I place the book here.” jeg means “I” and identifies the person carrying out the action. It is the first-person singular personal pronoun. Its object-form counterpart is mig, as in Hun ser mig — “She sees me.” afsnittet means “the section.” It is the definite singular form of the neuter noun afsnit: et afsnit means “a section,” while afsnittet means “the section.” The standalone word et is the neuter indefinite article in et afsnit; the suffix -et on afsnittet marks definite singular. Example: Afsnittet er kort. — “The section is short.” afvigelser means “deviations” or “variances” in this context. It is the plural indefinite form of afvigelse: en afvigelse — “a deviation,” afvigelser — “deviations.” The preposition om links it to afsnittet, giving the phrase afsnittet om afvigelser, “the section about variances.” først means “first” in the sense of being placed before the other sections or items. It is an adverb and does not change for number or gender. Example: Vi læser dette først. — “We read this first.” Together, jeg placerer afsnittet om afvigelser means “I’ll put the section about variances,” and først adds its order: “first.” The opening I så fald makes the complete utterance: “In that case, I’ll put the section about variances first.”

6. Tallene understøtter pointen, men forklaringen har brug for mere kontekst.

   The figures support the point, but the explanation needs more context.

   Tallene

   the figures

   understøtter

   support

   pointen

   the point

   men

   but

   forklaringen

   the explanation

   har brug for

   need

   mere

   more

   kontekst

   context

   More detail

   Tallene means “the figures” here. It is the definite plural of tal (“figure; number”): tal → tal (plural) → tallene (the figures). The ending -ene marks definite plural in this noun. Here, the definite form presents the figures as identifiable information. understøtter means “support” in the sense of providing evidence for a point. Its base form is understøtte; understøtter is the present-tense form. Danish present-tense verbs generally do not change according to the subject’s person or number. Example: Dataene understøtter konklusionen. — “The data support the conclusion.” pointen means “the point.” The base noun is point, and pointen is its definite singular form, marked by -en. Here point refers to an idea or argument, not a score or a physical point. Example: Jeg forstår pointen. — “I understand the point.” men is the coordinating conjunction “but.” It connects two contrasting clauses without changing the tense or form of the verbs. forklaringen means “the explanation.” Its base noun is forklaring, and forklaringen is definite singular, with the ending -en. The form identifies a particular explanation in the context; the noun itself does not specify who gave it. har brug for is a reusable Danish construction meaning “need.” Together, these words express needing something: Jeg har brug for hjælp. — “I need help.” The verb har is the present form of have, and it remains har with different subjects: jeg har, du har, and den har. Thus the subject does not create different present-tense forms here. mere means “more” here and indicates an additional amount of kontekst. It is used with an uncountable or mass meaning, as in mere tid — “more time.” With countable plural items, Danish commonly uses flere, as in flere oplysninger — “more pieces of information.” kontekst means “context.” It is an indefinite, unmarked noun form here, without a definite ending. In this sentence, mere kontekst refers to an additional amount of context rather than to a separately identified definite quantity. Example: Denne sætning kræver mere kontekst. — “This sentence requires more context.” Together, Tallene understøtter pointen says that the figures provide support for the point. men forklaringen har brug for mere kontekst contrasts this with the explanation’s need for additional context. The complete utterance therefore means: “The figures support the point, but the explanation needs more context.”

7. Jeg vil nævne antagelserne bag hver prognose.

   I'll mention the assumptions behind each projection.

   Jeg vil

   I will

   nævne

   mention

   antagelserne

   the assumptions

   bag

   behind

   hver

   each

   prognose

   projection

   More detail

   Jeg vil means “I will” here. Jeg is the first-person singular pronoun “I”, and vil is the present form of ville, used here to express a future intention or plan. Danish modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without at: Jeg vil læse means “I will read.” nævne means “to mention.” It is the infinitive form, so after vil it stays unchanged. The same verb can be used with a direct object: Hun nævner et navn means “She mentions a name.” antagelserne means “the assumptions.” Its base form is antagelse; antagelser is the plural, and the ending -ne marks the definite plural: antagelserne = “the assumptions.” The definite form refers to assumptions identifiable in the context, while antagelser would mean “assumptions” without that definite marking. bag means “behind” and introduces what something is behind. In abstract expressions it can link an idea or result to its underlying basis: årsagen bag beslutningen means “the reason behind the decision.” hver means “each” or “every.” It presents the following noun as one item at a time and is used with a singular noun: hver dag means “each day.” This is different from alle, “all,” which normally goes with a plural noun: alle dage means “all days.” prognose means “projection” or “forecast.” Here it is singular and indefinite because it follows hver: hver prognose means “each projection.” Its plural is prognoser, as in flere prognoser (“several projections”). Together, Jeg vil nævne gives “I will mention”; antagelserne bag identifies what those assumptions are behind; and hver prognose means “each projection.” The complete utterance is: “I’ll mention the assumptions behind each projection.”

8. Det vil hjælpe de lyttere, der gik glip af den tidligere diskussion.

   That will help listeners who missed the earlier discussion.

   Det vil

   that will

   hjælpe

   help

   de

   the

   lyttere

   listeners

   der

   who

   gik glip af

   missed

   den

   the

   tidligere

   earlier

   diskussion

   discussion

   More detail

   Det vil combines det (“that/it” here, corresponding to “that” in the translation) with vil, the present form of ville. In this construction, vil expresses a future or expected result: “will help.” The form vil is also used with other subjects; for example, De vil komme means “You (formal) will come.” hjælpe is the infinitive “to help.” After the modal vil, Danish uses the infinitive without at: vil hjælpe means “will help,” while at hjælpe means “to help.” de is the definite plural article, meaning “the” before a plural noun. Here it introduces lyttere, so de lyttere means “the listeners.” Danish also uses den and det with definite singular nouns, but de is the plural form. lyttere means “listeners.” Its singular form is lytter, and the plural form is lyttere; the definite plural is lytterne, “the listeners.” The noun identifies people who listen, without adding any further description of them. der introduces the relative clause describing the listeners. In this sentence it corresponds to “who.” Danish der can introduce a relative clause when the described person or thing functions as the subject of that clause. The listeners are the ones who gik glip af something. gik glip af is the fixed expression “missed” in the sense of failing to experience or attend something. Its verb is gik, the past form of gå (“go”), but the whole expression—not gik alone—has the relevant meaning here. For example, Hun gik glip af mødet means “She missed the meeting.” den is the definite singular article used here with diskussion, so den ... diskussion means “the ... discussion.” Unlike de, which is plural, den is used with a common-gender singular noun in this construction. tidligere means “earlier” here. It is the comparative form related to tidlig (“early”): tidlig → tidligere (“earlier”). It describes diskussion, not den; the noun is diskussion. diskussion means “discussion.” Its plural is diskussioner, and its definite singular is diskussionen, “the discussion.” Here the definite form is expressed by the separate article den before the noun. Together, de lyttere, der gik glip af den tidligere diskussion means “the listeners who missed the earlier discussion.” The relative clause identifies which listeners are meant. The complete sentence says that the result referred to by Det will help those listeners: “That will help listeners who missed the earlier discussion.”

9. En kort note før prognoserne burde kunne klare det.

   A short note before the projections should cover it.

   kort

   short

   note

   note

   før

   before

   prognoserne

   the projections

   burde kunne

   should be able to

   klare

   cover; manage

   det

   it

   More detail

   kort describes note here: en kort note is “a short note.” The adjective agrees with the common-gender singular noun note; its form is kort in both common-gender and neuter singular, while korte is used with plural or definite noun phrases. Example: en kort tekst — “a short text.” note is the noun “note.” With the indefinite article, the phrase is en note; the definite form is noten — “the note.” In this sentence, it is the subject of the clause. før means “before” and introduces the noun phrase prognoserne. It can also introduce a clause, as in før mødet begynder — “before the meeting begins.” prognoserne means “the projections.” It is the definite plural of prognose: en prognose — “a projection,” prognoser — “projections,” and prognoserne — “the projections.” The ending -ne marks definiteness in this plural form. burde kunne combines two modal verbs. burde expresses what is expected or advisable—“should” or “ought to”—and kunne means “be able to” or “can.” After a modal verb, the next verb is normally in the infinitive, so burde kunne is a reusable pattern meaning “should be able to.” burde is the relevant form of bør in this construction; kunne is the infinitive of kan. klare means “manage” or “handle.” In klare det, the combination means “manage it” or, with the fixed translation’s intended sense, “cover it.” klare is the infinitive required after kunne. Example: Hun kan klare opgaven — “She can manage the task.” det is a neuter singular pronoun meaning “it” here. Its specific referent is not identified in the supplied sentence, but the fixed translation confirms the intended “it” reading. The pronoun is separate from the verb phrase: klare det means “cover/manage it.” Together, En kort note is the subject, and før prognoserne places that note before the projections. burde kunne klare det says that the note should be able to cover it, producing the full meaning: “A short note before the projections should cover it.”