Building employee buy-in for policy changes | Learn Danish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Politikker har en tendens til at mislykkes, når medarbejderne føler, at ændringerne bliver påtvunget dem.

   Policies tend to fail when employees feel changes are being imposed on them.

   Politikker

   policies

   har en tendens til

   tend to

   mislykkes

   fail

   medarbejderne

   the employees

   føler

   feel

   ændringerne

   the changes

   bliver påtvunget

   are imposed

   dem

   them

   More detail

   Politikker means “policies” here. It is the plural of politik (“policy” in this context). Danish uses the plural form for more than one policy or for policies considered generally; the form itself does not specify how many. har en tendens til is a reusable pattern meaning “tend to”. It is followed by at plus an infinitive: har en tendens til at .... har is the present form of have (“to have”), and tendens is the noun “tendency”. Example: Børn har en tendens til at efterligne voksne. — “Children tend to imitate adults.” mislykkes means “fail” or “be unsuccessful”. Here it is the infinitive after til at. The form is also used as the present form, and Danish verbs do not change this form according to the subject: jeg mislykkes and de mislykkes have the same verb form, though the first-person example may be unusual in many contexts. medarbejderne means “the employees”. It is the definite plural of medarbejder (“employee”): singular indefinite en medarbejder, plural indefinite medarbejdere, definite plural medarbejderne. The definite form presents the employees as an identifiable group rather than employees in general. føler means “feel” here, specifically “feel” in the sense of experiencing or judging a situation. It is the present form of føle. Example: Jeg føler, at planen er klar. — “I feel that the plan is clear.” ændringerne means “the changes”. It is the definite plural of ændring (“change”): ændringer is indefinite plural and ændringerne is definite plural. The definite form presents the changes as identifiable in the situation. bliver påtvunget means “are imposed”. This is a passive construction: bliver is the present form of blive, used here as the passive auxiliary, and påtvunget is the past participle of påtvinge (“impose” or “force upon”). Together, bliver påtvunget presents the imposition as an event viewed in the present. Example: Reglerne bliver påtvunget borgerne. — “The rules are imposed on the citizens.” dem means “them” here. It is the object form of the third-person plural pronoun, identifying the people affected by the imposition. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies those people as the employees. Taken together, Politikker har en tendens til at mislykkes says “Policies tend to fail”. The subordinate clause når medarbejderne føler means “when the employees feel”, and at ændringerne bliver påtvunget dem means “that the changes are being imposed on them”. The complete utterance therefore means: “Policies tend to fail when employees feel changes are being imposed on them.”

2. Folk er mere tilbøjelige til at tilpasse sig, når de har reel indflydelse på processen.

   People are more likely to adjust when they have a real say in the process.

   Folk

   people

   mere tilbøjelige

   more likely

   tilpasse sig

   adjust; adapt

   reel

   real; genuine

   indflydelse

   influence; say

   processen

   the process

   More detail

   Folk means “people” here. It is a plural noun and can refer to people generally, without specifying how many. Danish also uses folk in expressions such as mange folk (“many people”). mere tilbøjelige means “more likely” in this sentence. Tilbøjelig is the base form; mere tilbøjelig is the comparative, and mere tilbøjelige has the plural form required with folk. The useful pattern is være mere tilbøjelig(e) til at + an infinitive: “be more likely to …”. Example: De er mere tilbøjelige til at lytte. — “They are more likely to listen.” tilpasse sig means “adjust” or “adapt”. The verb is tilpasse, and sig is a reflexive pronoun: the people adjust themselves or adapt. The infinitive appears after til at in the pattern til at tilpasse sig. Example: Hun prøver at tilpasse sig. — “She is trying to adapt.” reel means “real” or “genuine” here. It describes indflydelse, so it is in the common-gender singular indefinite form. It emphasizes that the influence is actual, not merely nominal. Example: De har reel kontrol. — “They have real control.” indflydelse means “influence” or, in this context, “a say”. The expression have indflydelse på means “have influence on” or “have a say in”. Example: Medarbejderne har indflydelse på beslutningen. — “The employees have a say in the decision.” processen means “the process”. Its base form is proces; processen is the definite singular form, marked by -en. The preposition på connects it to indflydelse på: the influence concerns the process. The sentence structure is Folk er mere tilbøjelige til at tilpasse sig (“People are more likely to adapt”) followed by når de har reel indflydelse på processen (“when they have a real say in the process”). Når introduces the condition or situation, and de refers back to folk. Together, the utterance says that people are more likely to adapt when they genuinely have influence over the process.

3. Vi kunne bede om forslag, før vi lægger planen endeligt fast.

   We could invite suggestions before we finalize the plan.

   Vi kunne

   we could

   bede om

   ask for

   forslag

   suggestions

   før

   before

   planen

   the plan

   endeligt

   definitively

   lægger … fast

   finalize; set firmly

   More detail

   Vi kunne means “we could.” Vi is the first-person plural pronoun “we.” Kunne is the past form of kunne (“can/be able to”), but after a present-time modal use it commonly expresses possibility or a suggestion in English “could”: Vi kunne ... = “We could ...”. The modal is followed by an infinitive, as in Vi kunne vente (“We could wait”). bede om is the infinitive construction “ask for” or “request.” Bede is the infinitive of bede; om introduces what is requested. For example, De bad om hjælp means “They asked for help.” Here it does not mean that the suggestions have already been received; it presents asking for them as a possible action. forslag means “suggestions” here. The translation identifies the intended plural meaning. Danish forslag can also be the indefinite singular after et (“a suggestion”), so the form itself does not show the plural in this sentence; context and meaning give the plural reading. The definite plural is forslagene (“the suggestions”). før introduces a time relation: “before.” When it introduces a clause, the clause states the later event relative to which the first action is earlier. For example, Ring, før du går means “Call before you leave.” planen means “the plan.” It is the definite singular form of the common-gender noun plan: en plan (“a plan”) → planen (“the plan”). The -en ending carries definiteness; it is not a separate word. endeligt adds the idea of doing something finally or definitively. In this sentence it strengthens the sense that the plan will be settled, rather than merely discussed or temporarily arranged. Compare endelig in a basic adjective use, as in en endelig beslutning (“a final decision”); endeligt is the form used adverbially here. lægger ... fast is the construction “set/fix firmly,” and in this context “finalize.” Lægger is the present form of lægge (“put/place”), while fast contributes “firmly” or “fixed.” Danish can place an adverb between the verb and the rest of this construction: Vi lægger datoen fast means “We set the date.” In the supplied sentence, planen is what is being set, and endeligt specifies that the settling is definitive. Together, Vi kunne bede om forslag means “We could ask for suggestions.” før vi lægger planen endeligt fast means “before we finalize the plan”: vi is the subject of the second clause, and lægger ... fast expresses finalizing the plan. The complete utterance is therefore: “We could invite suggestions before we finalize the plan.”

4. Det ville få praktiske problemer frem, som vi måske ikke kan se herfra.

   That would bring up practical issues we might not see from here.

   Det ville

   That would

   få … frem

   bring up

   praktiske

   practical

   problemer

   issues

   måske

   perhaps

   kan se

   can see

   herfra

   from here

   More detail

   Det ville combines det, a neuter singular pronoun, with ville, the past-tense form of vil used here for a hypothetical result: “that would.” The translation identifies det as the situation or proposal being referred to, without specifying a separate noun. Danish commonly uses ville + infinitive for this kind of conditional meaning. Example: Det ville hjælpe. — “That would help.” få ... frem is a reusable Danish construction meaning to bring something out, reveal it, or bring it up. Here, få is the infinitive after ville, while frem completes the construction and gives the idea of making something come to light. The two parts are separated in the sentence by praktiske problemer; this is why it is useful to learn them together as a pattern: få [noget] frem. Example: Spørgsmålet fik nye oplysninger frem. — “The question brought new information to light.” praktiske is the plural form of the adjective praktisk, “practical.” Its -e ending agrees with the plural noun problemer here. The singular indefinite form is et praktisk problem, while the plural is praktiske problemer; the adjective’s form is determined by the noun phrase, not by problemer being the base form of the adjective. problemer is the plural of problem, meaning “problem” or, in this context, “issue.” Danish uses the same plural ending here as in many loanwords: et problem → problemer. Example: Vi har et praktisk problem. — “We have a practical problem.” måske means “perhaps” or “maybe.” It marks the possibility expressed by the following clause, so the sentence does not assert that the issues will definitely be visible. Example: Måske kommer hun senere. — “Maybe she will come later.” kan se consists of kan, the present form of the modal verb kunne, followed by the infinitive se, “see.” In this sentence, kan expresses ability or possibility, and vi is the subject of this clause: “we might be able to see.” After a Danish modal such as kan, the following verb remains in the infinitive. Example: Vi kan se huset. — “We can see the house.” herfra is an adverb meaning “from here.” It specifies the standpoint or starting point for seeing, rather than naming a separate object. Example: Herfra kan vi se havet. — “From here we can see the sea.” Together, Det ville få praktiske problemer frem means “That would bring practical issues up.” som vi måske ikke kan se herfra is a relative clause describing those issues: they are issues that we may not be able to see from here. The whole utterance therefore means: “That would bring up practical issues we might not see from here.”

5. Det giver også folk mere grund til at gå op i resultatet.

   It also gives people more reason to care about the outcome.

   Det

   it

   giver

   gives

   også

   also

   folk

   people

   mere

   more

   grund

   reason

   til at gå op i

   to care about

   resultatet

   the outcome

   More detail

   Det is the subject pronoun meaning “it” here. Its exact referent is not named inside this sentence; its neuter singular form is determined by the thing or situation being referred to, not by folk later in the sentence. giver is the present-tense form of give, “to give”: give → giver. Danish present tense commonly uses this form for a current or generally stated effect. også means “also” and adds this effect to another one already under discussion. It does not change who gives or receives anything. folk means “people.” It is a useful general noun for people as a group; Danish uses this form without an ending in this meaning. In this sentence, folk is the recipient of what is given. mere means “more.” It is the comparative form associated with meget (“much” or “very much”): meget → mere (“more”). Here it marks an increased amount of grund, not a comparison of the people. grund means “reason” here: a basis or motivation for doing something. The common indefinite form is en grund, and the plural is grunde. A useful pattern is grund til at + infinitive, “reason to …”. til at gå op i is a construction meaning “to care about” or “to take an interest in.” The words should be learned together for this sense: gå op i is not translated word for word here. After til at, gå is the infinitive form. Example: Hun har lyst til at læse. — “She feels like reading.” resultatet means “the outcome” here. It is the definite singular form of et resultat: et resultat → resultatet. The ending -et marks the definite singular for this noun, meaning “the outcome” rather than an unspecified outcome. Together, Det giver means “It gives,” også folk identifies people as the recipients, and mere grund til at gå op i resultatet means “more reason to care about the outcome.” The complete utterance therefore means: “It also gives people more reason to care about the outcome.”

6. En plan, der kan fungere, kræver stadig, at folk føler sig engagerede i den.

   A workable plan still needs people to feel invested.

   plan

   plan

   der

   that; which

   kan

   can

   fungere

   work; function

   kræver

   requires

   stadig

   still

   folk

   people

   føler sig

   feel

   engagerede

   invested; engaged

   i den

   in it

   More detail

   plan means “plan” here. Its base form is plan; with the indefinite article en, it is a common-gender singular noun: en plan. Example: Det er en god plan. — “It is a good plan.” der introduces a relative clause and refers here to en plan: “that/which”. In this clause, der is the subject of kan fungere. Danish der does not change form for this common-gender singular referent. Example: Jeg har en idé, der kan hjælpe. — “I have an idea that can help.” kan is the present form of the modal verb kunne, “can/be able to”. A modal is followed by an infinitive without at, as in kan fungere (“can work”). Example: Det kan vente. — “It can wait.” fungere is the infinitive “work; function”. With kan, it states a possibility or capability rather than an established result. The phrase kan fungere therefore means “can work”. kræver is the present form of kræve, “require”. Danish present-tense verbs do not change here for person or number. kræver, at introduces the condition or situation that is required. Example: Det kræver tid. — “It requires time.” stadig means “still” and indicates that the requirement remains in force. Its meaning belongs to kræver stadig; it is not part of the meaning of kræver alone. folk means “people”. It is a collective noun referring to people as a group; here it is the subject of the following clause, føler sig engagerede. Example: Folk arbejder sammen. — “People work together.” føler sig combines the present form føler of føle (“feel”) with the reflexive pronoun sig. Together here it means “feel” in the sense of experiencing a state themselves. The pronoun is reflexive because it refers back to the people who feel. Example: De føler sig trygge. — “They feel safe.” engagerede is the plural form of the adjective engageret, meaning “engaged” or, in this context, “invested”. It describes the state that folk feel themselves to be in. The plural form agrees with folk; it is not an inflection of den or plan. Example: De er engagerede i arbejdet. — “They are invested in the work.” i den means “in it” here. i is the preposition “in”, and den is a common-gender singular pronoun referring back to plan, the noun introduced with en. The expression engageret i commonly describes being involved in or committed to something. Example: Hun er engageret i projektet. — “She is committed to the project.” The sentence begins with En plan, der kan fungere — “A plan that can work”. The main verb kræver then says what this plan requires: stadig marks that this remains true. The required situation is introduced by at: folk føler sig engagerede i den — “people feel invested in it”, with den referring to the plan. Thus the whole utterance means: “A workable plan still needs people to feel invested.”

7. Det svære er at holde diskussionen konstruktiv og konkret.

   The hard part is keeping the discussion constructive and specific.

   Det svære

   the hard part

   holde

   keep

   diskussionen

   the discussion

   konstruktiv

   constructive

   konkret

   specific

   More detail

   Det svære means “the hard part” here. In this nominalized adjective expression, svære is the adjective’s definite/plural form used after det; it is not the neuter form. The neuter form of svær is svært, while the comparative is sværere. A useful pattern is det + adjective in the definite form for “the [quality/aspect] part.” holde is the infinitive of holde, “to keep” or “to maintain.” Here it means maintaining a state rather than physically holding something. The preceding at marks the infinitive: at holde = “to keep.” Example: Det er svært at vente means “It is difficult to wait.” diskussionen is the definite singular form of diskussion, “discussion”: en diskussion = “a discussion,” diskussionen = “the discussion.” The definite ending is part of the Danish noun form and is not a separate word here. konstruktiv means “constructive.” Here it describes the state in which the discussion is to be kept. With the common-gender noun diskussionen as the object whose state is described, it has the common-gender form konstruktiv, not neuter konstruktivt. konkret means “specific” here. It is coordinated with konstruktiv and describes the same discussion. In the relevant indefinite adjective forms, konkret has the same spelling with common-gender and neuter nouns, so this form alone does not show the noun’s gender. In other contexts it can mean “concrete,” but “specific” is the intended meaning here. Together, Det svære er presents the difficult aspect as the subject, and at holde diskussionen konstruktiv og konkret identifies that aspect: keeping the discussion constructive and specific. The whole utterance means, “The hard part is keeping the discussion constructive and specific.”

8. Så bør vi stille målrettede spørgsmål i stedet for at bede om bred feedback.

   Then we should ask focused questions instead of making a broad feedback request.

   Så

   Then

   bør vi

   we should

   stille

   ask

   målrettede

   focused

   spørgsmål

   questions

   i stedet for

   instead of

   at bede om

   to request

   bred

   broad

   feedback

   feedback

   More detail

   Så means “then” here and links this proposal to what was just discussed. Danish så can have other uses, but this sentence uses it as a sequencing or consequence marker. bør vi expresses “we should”: bør is the modal verb for what is advisable or appropriate, and vi is the first-person plural pronoun “we.” After a modal such as bør, Danish uses the infinitive without at. stille is the infinitive of stille, “to put” or “to set,” but in stille spørgsmål it is the usual verb in the reusable expression “to ask questions.” Example: Jeg stiller et spørgsmål. — “I ask a question.” målrettede means “focused” or “targeted” here. It is the plural form of målrettet; the ending -e agrees with the plural noun spørgsmål. Example: målrettede spørgsmål — “focused questions.” spørgsmål means “questions.” Its singular and plural forms are both spørgsmål; the number is understood from the surrounding words. The singular indefinite form is et spørgsmål, while the plural here is spørgsmål. i stedet for is a reusable contrast pattern meaning “instead of.” When it introduces an action, it can be followed by at plus an infinitive: i stedet for at vente — “instead of waiting.” at bede om means “to ask for” or “to request.” bede is the infinitive of bede, and om is required in this construction for the thing being requested. Example: Hun beder om hjælp. — “She asks for help.” bred means “broad” here and describes the singular mass noun feedback. Danish adjective forms include bred with a common-gender singular noun, bredt with a neuter singular noun, and brede with plural or definite forms. In this sentence, bred feedback means broad feedback, not a count of feedback items. feedback is the borrowed noun “feedback.” Here it is the thing being requested by bede om; the sentence contrasts a broad feedback request with focused questions. Together, bør vi stille målrettede spørgsmål means “we should ask focused questions.” i stedet for at bede om bred feedback supplies the alternative: rather than requesting broad feedback, the speakers should ask questions aimed at specific points. With the opening Så, the complete meaning is: “Then we should ask focused questions instead of making a broad feedback request.”