Language/Danish/Grammar/Future-Tense

Danish Grammar - Future Tense

Hi Danish learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about the future tense in Danish. We will show you how to form the future tense, how to use it in different situations, and provide you with some cultural information related to the topic.

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: The Accusative Case in Danish & Adjectives.

What is the future tense?

In Danish, the future tense is used to talk about actions or events that will happen in the future. It is a verb tense that is used to discuss upcoming actions or situations.

The future tense in Danish can be formed using the auxiliary verb "vil" (will) and the infinitive form of the main verb. For example:

Danish	Pronunciation	English
Jeg vil rejse	Yai vill rai-suh	I will travel
Vi vil danse	Vee vill dahn-seh	We will dance
De vil spise mad	Deh vill spee-suh mahd	They will eat food
Han vil se filmen	Haan vill seh film-en	He will watch the movie

Note that in the future tense, the auxiliary verb "vil" is always conjugated to agree with the subject of the sentence. The main verb remains in the infinitive form.

Using the future tense

The future tense can be used in different situations in Danish. It can be used to talk about actions or situations that will happen in the future, plans or intentions, predictions, and assumptions.

Talking about future actions or situations

The future tense can be used to talk about actions or situations that will happen in the future. For example:

• Jeg vil tage til Paris i næste måned. (I will go to Paris next month.)
• De vil købe en ny bil i morgen. (They will buy a new car tomorrow.)
• Hvad vil du lave i weekenden? (What will you do this weekend?)

Expressing plans or intentions

The future tense is also used to express plans or intentions. For example:

• Jeg vil tage en uddannelse til at blive arkitekt. (I will take an education to become an architect.)
• Vi vil gerne invitere dig til vores bryllup. (We would like to invite you to our wedding.)
• De vil flytte til et større hus om et år. (They will move to a bigger house in a year.)

Predictions

The future tense can be used to make predictions about the future. For example:

• Det vil regne i morgen. (It will rain tomorrow.)
• Der vil være meget trafik på vejene i aften. (There will be a lot of traffic on the roads tonight.)
• Skal vi tage paraplyen med? Jeg tror, det vil regne. (Should we bring the umbrella? I think it will rain.)

Assumptions

The future tense can also be used to express assumptions about what someone will or will not do. For example:

• Hun vil ikke komme til festen i aften. (She will not come to the party tonight.)
• De vil nok mødes med os i morgen. (They will probably meet with us tomorrow.)
• Han vil sikkert gerne have mere kaffe. (He will surely want more coffee.)

Cultural information

Learning the future tense in Danish is an important step towards fluency, but learning about the culture behind the language is just as important. Danish culture is rich and vibrant, and it is worth exploring to gain a deeper understanding of the language and its speakers.

Denmark is famous for its design culture, which blends simplicity and functionality with elegance and beauty. Danish architects, designers, and furniture makers have made a significant impact on the world stage, with their work characterized by clean lines, natural materials, and a focus on quality and craftsmanship.

Another important aspect of Danish culture is the concept of "hygge" (pronounced hoo-gah), which roughly translates to "coziness" or "enjoying life's simple pleasures". Danes place a high value on spending time with family and friends, and they often create cozy environments filled with candles, blankets, and warm drinks to create a sense of comfort and togetherness.

Dialogue

Here is a dialogue between two friends discussing their plans for the weekend, using the future tense:

• Person 1: Hvad vil du lave i weekenden? (What will you do this weekend?)
• Person 2: Jeg vil tage til stranden med min familie. (I will go to the beach with my family.)
• Person 1: Det lyder hyggeligt. Vil I gå i vandet? (That sounds nice. Will you go in the water?)
• Person 2: Nej, vi vil bare lægge og slappe af. (No, we will just lay and relax.)
• Person 1: God ide. Jeg vil arbejde i min have i stedet. (Good idea. I will work in my garden instead.)

Sources

• Danish grammar - Wikipedia
• Talking about the future | Danish Language Blog
• Danish Verbs be (at være) and have (at have) - ielanguages.com

---

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Other Lessons

• Plurals
• Cardinal Numbers in Danish
• Nouns
• Pronouns
• How to use “can” in Danish
• Indefinite Articles in Danish
• The Nominative Case in Danish
• How to use “to speak” in Danish
• Prepositions