Language/Danish/Grammar/Verbs-(Past-Tense)

Danish → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Verbs (Past Tense)

Welcome to our lesson on Danish verbs in the past tense! Understanding how to express actions that have already taken place is crucial for effective communication in any language, and Danish is no exception. In this lesson, we'll explore how to conjugate both regular and irregular verbs in the past tense, helping you articulate your thoughts and experiences more fluently in Danish.

Learning to express the past will enrich your conversations, allowing you to share stories, describe events, and reflect on your experiences. We'll break down the rules and provide plenty of examples to clarify these concepts, and by the end of this lesson, you'll feel more confident using past tense verbs in your Danish conversations.

Lesson Structure:

1. Overview of Past Tense in Danish

2. Conjugation of Regular Verbs

3. Conjugation of Irregular Verbs

4. Examples

5. Practice Exercises

6. Solutions and Explanations

Overview of Past Tense in Danish

In Danish, the past tense is primarily formed in two ways: through regular conjugation for most verbs and irregular forms for a selection of common verbs. Understanding these patterns will help you navigate the language with ease.

• Regular Verbs: These verbs follow a predictable pattern when conjugated in the past tense.

• Irregular Verbs: These verbs do not follow standard rules and must be memorized.

Conjugation of Regular Verbs

Regular verbs in Danish typically follow a straightforward pattern. To form the past tense, you usually add the suffix -ede or -te to the verb stem.

• -ede is used for verbs that end in a vowel sound.

• -te is used for most other verbs.

Here’s a table showing how to conjugate some common regular verbs in the past tense:

Danish	Pronunciation	English
at arbejde	æt ˈɑːbɑɾðə	to work
jeg arbejdede	jɑj ˈɑːbɑjˌðə	I worked
at spille	æt ˈspilə	to play
jeg spillede	jɑj ˈspilˌðə	I played
at danse	æt ˈdɑnˀsə	to dance
jeg dansede	jɑj ˈdɑnˌðə	I danced
at tale	æt ˈtæːlə	to talk
jeg talte	jɑj ˈtæːltə	I talked
at lære	æt ˈlɛːʁə	to learn
jeg lærte	jɑj ˈlɛːʁtə	I learned

Conjugation of Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs, on the other hand, change in more unpredictable ways. They often have unique forms that you will need to memorize. Here’s a selection of common irregular verbs along with their past tense forms:

Danish	Pronunciation	English
at være	æt ˈvæːʁə	to be
jeg var	jɑj vɑːʁ	I was
at have	æt ˈhɛːvə	to have
jeg havde	jɑj ˈhɛːðə	I had
at gå	æt ˈɡɔː	to go
jeg gik	jɑj ˈɡiɡ	I went
at se	æt ˈseː	to see
jeg så	jɑj ˈsɔː	I saw
at komme	æt ˈkʌmːə	to come
jeg kom	jɑj ˈkʌm	I came

Examples

Let's take a closer look at some examples using both regular and irregular verbs in sentences:

• Regular Verbs:

1. Jeg arbejdede i går. (I worked yesterday.)

2. Vi spillede fodbold i parken. (We played football in the park.)

3. Hun dansede hele natten. (She danced all night.)

4. De talte om deres planer. (They talked about their plans.)

5. Jeg lærte dansk sidste år. (I learned Danish last year.)

• Irregular Verbs:

1. Jeg var træt i går. (I was tired yesterday.)

2. Vi havde en god tid. (We had a good time.)

3. Han gik til byen. (He went to the city.)

4. Jeg så en film. (I saw a movie.)

5. De kom sent til festen. (They came late to the party.)

Practice Exercises

Now it's time for you to practice what you've learned! Here are some exercises to help reinforce your understanding of past tense verbs in Danish.

1. Translate the following sentences into Danish:

• I talked to my friend.

• We played in the garden.

• She learned a lot in school.

• They danced at the party.

• I was happy.

2. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses:

• Jeg (at have) _______ en kat.

• Vi (at se) _______ en smuk solnedgang.

• Han (at gå) _______ til arbejde.

• De (at tale) _______ om ferien.

• Jeg (at spille) _______ klaver.

3. Identify the verbs in the past tense in the following sentences:

• Han gik til butikken og købte mælk.

• Vi arbejdede hele dagen.

• Jeg så en interessant dokumentar.

• De dansede hele natten.

• Hun havde en fantastisk oplevelse.

4. Conjugate the following verbs in the past tense:

• at lave (to make)

• at finde (to find)

• at skrive (to write)

• at tage (to take)

• at læse (to read)

5. Write five sentences about what you did last weekend, using past tense verbs.

Solutions and Explanations

Now let’s go through the exercises and provide detailed solutions:

1. Translations:

• Jeg talte med min ven.

• Vi spillede i haven.

• Hun lærte meget i skolen.

• De dansede til festen.

• Jeg var glad.

2. Fill in the blanks:

• Jeg (at have) havde en kat.

• Vi (at se) så en smuk solnedgang.

• Han (at gå) gik til arbejde.

• De (at tale) talte om ferien.

• Jeg (at spille) spillede klaver.

3. Identify the past tense verbs:

• gik, købte, arbejdede, så, dansede, havde.

4. Conjugation of verbs:

• at lave: jeg lavede (I made)

• at finde: jeg fandt (I found)

• at skrive: jeg skrev (I wrote)

• at tage: jeg tog (I took)

• at læse: jeg læste (I read)

5. Example sentences:

• I went to the cinema.

• I played games with my friends.

• I read a book.

• I cooked dinner.

• I relaxed at home.

Congratulations on completing this lesson! By mastering the past tense of both regular and irregular verbs, you are now better equipped to share your experiences and communicate effectively in Danish. Keep practicing, and don’t hesitate to revisit these concepts as you continue your language learning journey!

Table of Contents - Danish Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Danish Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Danish Alphabet
• Pronunciation Basics

  ---

Everyday Phrases and Greetings

• Greetings and Introductions
• Common Phrases

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure and Word Order

• Subject-Verb-Object
• Questions and Negations

  ---

Numbers, Dates, and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Days, Months, and Seasons
• Telling Time

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Plurals and Possessives

  ---

Family, Relationships, and Occupations

• Family Members
• Relationships
• Occupations

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Forms and Agreement
• Comparatives and Superlatives
• Adverbs

  ---

Food, Drinks, and Dining

• Food and Drinks
• Dining Out

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Modal Verbs

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Vocabulary

  ---

Danish Culture and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Danish Customs and Etiquette

Sources

• Danish grammar - Wikipedia
• Danish Verb Tenses with Audio - ielanguages.com
• Danish/Verbs - Wikibooks, open books for an open world

Other Lessons

• Negation
• Possessive Case in Danish
• Adverbs
• Verbs in Danish
• Passive Voice
• Definite Articles in Danish
• Future Tense
• How to use “be” with adjectives in Danish
• How to use “there to be” in Danish
• Indefinite Articles in Danish