Describing symptoms objectively | Learn Danish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ubehaget er mildt, men det har varet længere end normalt.

   The discomfort is mild, but it has lasted longer than usual.

   Ubehaget

   the discomfort

   mildt

   mild

   det har

   it has

   varet

   lasted

   længere

   longer

   normalt

   normally

   More detail

   Ubehaget is the definite singular form of ubehag (“discomfort”): et ubehag → ubehaget. The ending -et marks a definite neuter noun, so this form means “the discomfort,” not just “discomfort.” mildt means “mild” here and agrees with the neuter singular noun ubehaget. The adjective’s basic form is mild; its neuter singular form is mildt. This ending belongs to the adjective, not to the noun. det har forms “it has.” Here det refers to the discomfort, and har is the present form of have, used as the auxiliary in the perfect construction. A useful pattern is det har + past participle = “it has …ed.” varet is the past participle of vare, “to last” or “to continue.” With har, har varet means “has lasted.” The past participle is varet in this construction; har carries the present-time auxiliary function. længere is the comparative form of lang, “long.” The comparison chain is lang → længere → længst (“long” → “longer” → “longest”). In længere end, it introduces a comparison: “longer than.” normalt means “normally” here, and in længere end normalt it contributes the meaning “than usual.” Here it functions adverbially and describes the usual duration. Together, Ubehaget er mildt means “The discomfort is mild.” men connects a contrast, and det har varet længere end normalt means “it has lasted longer than usual.” The complete utterance therefore means: “The discomfort is mild, but it has lasted longer than usual.”

2. Ændrer det sig ved aktivitet, hvile eller måltider?

   Does it change with activity, rest, or meals?

   Ændrer

   changes

   det

   it

   sig

   itself

   ved

   with

   aktivitet

   activity

   hvile

   rest

   måltider

   meals

   More detail

   Ændrer is the present-tense form of ændre, “to change.” In a question, it appears before the subject: Ændrer det ...? means “Does it change ...?” The same form can be used with several present-tense subjects; the subject is shown by the surrounding words rather than by a special ending on ændrer. det is the neuter singular pronoun “it.” Here, the fixed translation and the nearby context support the discomfort or symptom already being discussed as its referent. Danish uses det for a neuter singular noun or for an unspecified situation; the pronoun’s form does not itself identify the specific thing. sig is a reflexive pronoun used with a third-person subject. In ændre sig, it is part of the reusable pattern “to change” or “to change itself.” Reflexive forms refer back to the subject; compare the non-reflexive pattern ændre noget, “change something,” where noget is the affected object. ved means “with” here: it introduces the condition against which a change is being considered. Its meaning varies by context; for example, ved døren means “by the door,” but that location sense is not intended here. aktivitet is the noun “activity.” Its singular form is used here as a general condition, not as a statement about one counted activity. Example: Symptomet bliver værre ved aktivitet. — “The symptom gets worse with activity.” hvile is the noun “rest.” In this sentence it is another condition being compared with activity. Example: Det bliver bedre ved hvile. — “It gets better with rest.” måltider is the plural of måltid, “meal.” The plural presents meals generally rather than one specifically identified meal. Example: Jeg mærker det efter måltider. — “I notice it after meals.” Together, Ændrer det sig asks whether the issue under discussion changes. ved aktivitet, hvile eller måltider lists three conditions: with activity, with rest, or with meals. The verb-first question structure produces the complete meaning: “Does it change with activity, rest, or meals?”

3. Jeg lægger mere mærke til det, når jeg sidder i lang tid.

   I notice it more when I sit for a long time.

   Jeg

   I

   lægger … mærke til

   notice

   mere

   more

   det

   it

   når

   when

   sidder

   sit

   lang

   long

   tid

   time

   More detail

   Jeg is the first-person singular pronoun “I.” It identifies the speaker as the person noticing something. The corresponding plural pronoun is vi (“we”), but Jeg itself does not indicate a group. lægger and mærke til form the reusable Danish expression lægge mærke til (“to notice” or “to pay attention to”). In this sentence, lægger is the present-tense form of lægge, and the expression is used with det as what is noticed. Keep the parts together: Jeg lægger mærke til det. means “I notice it.” This is a fixed expression, not the literal meaning “put mark to.” mere means “more” here and compares the amount or degree of noticing with another situation. It is the comparative form related to meget (“much” or “a lot”): meget → mere → mest (“most”). Example: Jeg bemærker det mere om aftenen. — “I notice it more in the evening.” det is a singular neuter pronoun meaning “it” in the supplied translation. Its grammatical form is neuter singular; the fixed input does not identify a more specific referent, so the pronoun can be learned as the object of lægger mærke til without assigning it a particular noun. når introduces a time condition, “when.” It connects the main statement with the situation in which it applies. A reusable pattern is Jeg ... , når ... — “I ..., when ...”. sidder is the present-tense form of sidde, “to sit” or “to be seated.” The subject is the same first-person singular jeg, so the sentence means “when I sit,” not “when someone else sits.” Example: Jeg sidder ved bordet. — “I am sitting at the table.” lang means “long.” Here it describes tid, so lang tid means “a long time.” Lang is the adjective carrying the form used with this noun phrase; it is not derived from tid. In another grammatical environment, adjective forms can change, for example et langt møde (“a long meeting”), while tid is a common-gender noun in lang tid. tid means “time.” The phrase i lang tid expresses duration: “for a long time.” The preposition i combines with this duration phrase; the useful pattern is i + time period, as in i tre dage (“for three days”). Together, Jeg lægger mere mærke til det means “I notice it more.” The time clause når jeg sidder i lang tid specifies when this increased noticing occurs: “when I sit for a long time.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I notice it more when I sit for a long time.”

4. Det mønster er værd at nævne, og klinikeren kan vurdere det ordentligt.

   That pattern is worth mentioning, and the clinician can assess it properly.

   Det

   that

   mønster

   pattern

   er værd at

   is worth

   nævne

   mention

   klinikeren

   the clinician

   kan

   can

   vurdere

   assess

   det

   it

   ordentligt

   properly

   More detail

   Det is the neuter singular form used here for “that,” agreeing with mønster, which is a neuter noun. Danish also uses det as a pronoun; in the second occurrence, det refers back to the pattern identified in the fixed translation. mønster means “pattern.” Its indefinite singular form is et mønster; the plural is mønstre, and the definite singular is mønstret. The noun can describe a recurring arrangement, tendency, or recognizable form. er værd at introduces something considered worthwhile: er værd at + infinitive means “is worth …ing.” The verb er is the present form of være (“be”), and værd is the adjective “worth.” This is a reusable construction, as in Det er værd at prøve — “It is worth trying.” nævne is the infinitive “to mention.” Its present form is nævner, past form nævnte, and supine form nævnt, as in Jeg har nævnt det — “I have mentioned it.” Here it appears after at in the er værd at construction. klinikeren means “the clinician.” The ending -en marks the definite singular of the common-gender noun kliniker; the indefinite form is en kliniker. Danish definite endings are attached to the noun rather than normally expressed by a separate word before it. kan is the present form of the modal verb kunne, “can/be able to.” A Danish modal is followed by an infinitive without at: kan vurdere means “can assess.” For example, Hun kan hjælpe means “She can help.” vurdere means “to assess” or “to evaluate.” Its present form is vurderer, past form vurderede, and supine form vurderet. The infinitive after kan states what ability or possibility is involved. det is the neuter singular pronoun “it” here, referring to the pattern. In this sentence it is the object of vurdere, so vurdere det means “assess it.” ordentligt is the adverb “properly.” It describes how the assessment is carried out. It is related to the adjective ordentlig (“proper” or “orderly”); the -t form is used here as an adverb modifying the verb. Together, Det mønster er værd at nævne says “That pattern is worth mentioning.” The conjunction og links this with klinikeren kan vurdere det ordentligt, “the clinician can assess it properly.” The complete utterance therefore means: “That pattern is worth mentioning, and the clinician can assess it properly.”

5. Jeg prøver at beskrive det uden at få det til at lyde værre eller mindre alvorligt, end det er.

   I am trying to describe it without making it sound worse or less serious than it is.

   Jeg prøver

   I am trying

   beskrive

   describe

   det

   it

   uden at

   without doing

   få det til at lyde

   make it sound

   værre

   worse

   mindre

   less

   alvorligt

   serious

   end det er

   than it is

   More detail

   Jeg prøver contains jeg (“I”) and the present-tense form prøver of prøve (“try”). In this sentence, the present form expresses an effort that is currently in progress: “I am trying.” beskrive is the infinitive “describe.” The pattern prøve at means “try to,” so Jeg prøver at beskrive ... is a reusable way to say “I am trying to describe ...”. Example: Jeg prøver at forklare det. — “I am trying to explain it.” det is the Danish pronoun “it” here, referring to the matter being described. Its form is the neuter singular form; the pronoun’s grammatical form does not by itself add a more specific identity to the matter. uden at introduces an action that is avoided: “without doing ...”. Danish uses uden at followed by an infinitive. Example: Hun gik uden at sige noget. — “She left without saying anything.” få det til at lyde is a causative pattern: literally, “get it to sound,” and here “make it sound.” få is the infinitive of få; det is the thing whose sound or impression is affected; and til at lyde introduces the resulting description. The pattern få noget til at ... is reusable for “make something ...”. Example: Det får rummet til at virke større. — “It makes the room seem larger.” værre means “worse” here. It is the comparative form associated with dårlig (“bad”), so it compares a more negative description with a less negative one. værre end ... is a common pattern for “worse than ...”. mindre means “less” here. It expresses a lower degree of the following quality, rather than meaning “smaller” as a physical size in this use. The phrase mindre alvorligt means “less serious.” alvorligt means “serious” here. It is the form of alvorlig used with the neuter singular det in this predicative description. The related form alvorlig is used where the surrounding grammar calls for the common-gender form; the observed alvorligt is the form required in this construction. end det er completes the comparison: end means “than,” det means “it,” and er is the present-tense form of være (“be”). Together, the phrase means “than it is.” Example: Det er lettere, end det ser ud. — “It is easier than it looks.” As a whole, Jeg prøver at beskrive det uden at få det til at lyde værre eller mindre alvorligt, end det er. means: “I am trying to describe it without making it sound worse or less serious than it is.” The structure first states the current effort, then the content of that effort, and finally the two effects being avoided: making the matter sound worse or making it sound less serious than its actual level.

6. Fokuser på, hvor ofte det sker, og hvordan det påvirker dig.

   Focus on how often it happens and how it affects you.

   Fokuser på

   focus on

   hvor ofte

   how often

   sker

   happens

   hvordan

   how

   påvirker

   affects

   dig

   you

   More detail

   Fokuser på is an imperative construction meaning “focus on.” The verb is fokusere; its imperative is fokuser, used here as a direct instruction to the understood listener. på introduces what the listener should direct attention to. Example: Fokuser på opgaven. — “Focus on the task.” hvor ofte asks about frequency: “how often.” It introduces the first embedded question clause, hvor ofte det sker. Example: Hvor ofte kommer du her? — “How often do you come here?” sker means “happens” here. Its base form is ske, and sker is the present-tense form. Danish present-tense verbs do not change according to the subject’s person or number, so the same form can occur with different subjects. Example: Det sker tit. — “It happens often.” hvordan means “how” and introduces the second embedded question clause, hvordan det påvirker dig. Here it asks about the manner or effect of something, not about frequency. Example: Hvordan virker det? — “How does it work?” påvirker means “affects” in this sentence. Its base form is påvirke, and påvirker is present tense. The verb form does not change for person or number in Danish. Example: Larmen påvirker min søvn. — “The noise affects my sleep.” dig is the second-person pronoun used as the object: “you.” The same form can refer to one listener or more than one listener; the form itself does not mark that distinction. Compare the subject form du (“you”) with the object form dig: Du hjælper dig selv. — “You help yourself.” The two clauses are joined by og (“and”): hvor ofte det sker + hvordan det påvirker dig. The first asks the listener to consider the frequency of an event, while the second asks the listener to consider its effect on them. Together with the imperative, the utterance means: “Focus on how often it happens and how it affects you.”

7. Jeg kan forklare, at det gør det sværere for mig at koncentrere mig på arbejdet.

   I can explain that it makes it harder to concentrate at work.

   Jeg kan

   I can

   forklare

   explain

   det

   it

   gør

   makes

   sværere

   harder

   for mig

   for me

   koncentrere

   concentrate

   arbejdet

   work

   More detail

   Jeg kan combines the subject pronoun jeg (“I”) with kan, the present-tense form of kunne (“can/be able to”). A modal such as kan is followed by an infinitive: Jeg kan forklare = “I can explain.” forklare is the infinitive of “explain.” The same form is used after kan; for example, Jeg kan vente means “I can wait.” det is a neuter singular pronoun meaning “it” here. Its specific referent is not identified by the supplied sentence, but it functions as the subject of the following clause: det gør .... gør is the present-tense form of gøre (“make/do”). Here it means “makes,” because det causes a change in how difficult the activity is. Det gør ... is a reusable pattern for “It makes ...”. sværere is the comparative form of the adjective svær (“difficult/hard”): svær = “hard,” sværere = “harder/more difficult.” It describes the activity as more difficult, rather than simply difficult. For example, Det er sværere nu means “It is harder now.” for mig means “for me.” mig is the object form of the first-person pronoun; compare subject jeg (“I”) with object mig (“me”). In this sentence, for mig identifies the person experiencing the increased difficulty. koncentrere is the infinitive of “concentrate.” Danish commonly uses it with a reflexive pronoun when someone concentrates: koncentrere mig = “concentrate,” literally “concentrate myself.” The mig belongs with this activity as well as appearing in the preceding for mig phrase; the two occurrences have different grammatical roles. arbejdet is the definite form of the noun arbejde (“work”): arbejde = “work,” arbejdet = “the work.” With the preposition på, the full expression på arbejdet means “at work.” The clause at det gør det sværere for mig at koncentrere mig på arbejdet begins with at, which introduces the content of the explanation: “that it makes it harder for me ...”. Within it, det gør gives the cause, det sværere expresses the increased difficulty, and for mig at koncentrere mig på arbejdet identifies whose concentration at work is affected. Together with Jeg kan forklare, the whole utterance means: “I can explain that it makes it harder to concentrate at work.”

8. Medtag den detalje, da den daglige påvirkning ofte er med til at bestemme den videre opfølgning.

   Include that detail, since daily impact often guides follow-up.

   Medtag

   include

   den

   the

   detalje

   detail

   da

   since

   daglige

   daily

   påvirkning

   impact

   ofte

   often

   er med til

   helps to

   bestemme

   determine

   videre

   further

   opfølgning

   follow-up

   More detail

   Medtag is the imperative of medtage, “to include.” It gives a direct instruction to one or more listeners. Example: Medtag datoen. — “Include the date.” The first den is the Danish definite article used with a singular common-gender noun. It means “the” here, not a numerical quantity. Danish contrasts den with det for singular neuter nouns and de for plural nouns. In this phrase, den combines with detalje to form “the detail.” detalje is a common-gender noun meaning “detail.” Its indefinite form is en detalje; the definite form without an adjective is detaljen. With the adjective between article and noun, Danish uses den ... detalje. da introduces the reason for the instruction here: “since” or “because.” Example: Jeg bliver hjemme, da jeg er syg. — “I am staying home because I am ill.” daglige means “daily” in this sentence. Its base form is daglig; the -e form is used in this definite noun phrase, den daglige påvirkning. The ending does not by itself mean plural: den daglige ... is singular here. påvirkning is a common-gender noun meaning “impact” or “influence.” En påvirkning is the indefinite form, while påvirkningen is the definite form when no adjective comes between the article and noun. Here, den daglige påvirkning means “the daily impact.” ofte is an adverb meaning “often.” It normally modifies the event or situation expressed by the clause. Example: Det sker ofte. — “It often happens.” er med til is part of the reusable pattern være med til at + infinitive. In the present tense, er is the present form of være (“to be”); the whole pattern says that something contributes to or helps bring about an action. Here it leads into at bestemme: påvirkningen er med til at bestemme — “the impact helps determine.” Example: Det er med til at gøre en forskel. — “It helps make a difference.” bestemme is the infinitive “to determine” or “to decide.” After at it remains in the infinitive: at bestemme. In this sentence, the intended sense is “determine” an outcome, not personally choose something. Example: Det kan bestemme resultatet. — “It can determine the result.” The second den is again the definite article for a singular common-gender noun. It combines with videre opfølgning, rather than expressing a quantity. videre means “further” or “subsequent” here. In den videre opfølgning, it describes follow-up that continues or comes afterward. Example: Vi taler om den videre plan. — “We discuss the further plan.” opfølgning is a common-gender noun meaning “follow-up.” In this sentence it refers generally to subsequent follow-up or further action, without specifying exactly what that action consists of. Example: Den videre opfølgning sker senere. — “The further follow-up happens later.” Together, Medtag den detalje gives the instruction “Include that detail.” The clause da den daglige påvirkning ofte er med til at bestemme den videre opfølgning gives its reason: “since daily impact often helps determine the further follow-up.” Thus the complete utterance means: “Include that detail, since daily impact often guides follow-up.”