Language/Danish/Grammar/Regular-Verbs
Introduction
In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate regular Danish verbs in the present, past, and future tenses. Verbs are essential in constructing sentences and expressing actions and events. Knowing how to use them properly is crucial to achieving fluency in Danish. This lesson is designed for complete beginners who wish to acquire a basic understanding of Danish grammar.
Regular Verbs
Regular verbs in Danish follow a pattern when conjugated in different tenses. To conjugate a regular verb, we remove the infinitive suffix (either -e or -er) and add the appropriate conjugation ending.
Present Tense
In Danish, the present tense describes actions that are currently happening or ongoing. To conjugate a regular verb in the present tense, we add the following endings:
| Danish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| at arbejde (to work) | ɑːt ɑːbəjðə | to work |
| jeg arbejder | jɑj ɑːbəjðɐ | I work |
| du arbejder | duː ɑːbəjðɐ | you work (singular) |
| han/hun/den/det arbejder | hɑn/hun/dən/dət ɑːbəjðɐ | he/she/it works |
| vi arbejder | viː ɑːbəjðɐ | we work |
| I arbejder | iː ɑːbəjðɐ | you work (plural) |
| de arbejder | deː ɑːbəjðɐ | they work |
For example:
- Jeg arbejder på kontoret. (I work in the office.)
- Du arbejder hårdt. (You work hard.)
- Hun arbejder som lærer. (She works as a teacher.)
- Vi arbejder tæt sammen. (We work closely together.)
- I arbejder i samme afdeling. (You work in the same department.)
- De arbejder på fabrikken. (They work in the factory.)
Past Tense
The past tense in Danish describes actions that have already happened. To conjugate a regular verb in the past tense, we add the following endings:
| Danish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| at arbejde | ɑːt ɑːbəjðə | to work |
| jeg arbejdede | jɑj ɑːbəjðəðə | I worked |
| du arbejdede | duː ɑːbəjðəðə | you worked (singular) |
| han/hun/den/det arbejdede | hɑn/hun/dən/dət ɑːbəjðəðə | he/she/it worked |
| vi arbejdede | viː ɑːbəjðəðə | we worked |
| I arbejdede | iː ɑːbəjðəðə | you worked (plural) |
| de arbejdede | deː ɑːbəjðəðə | they worked |
For example:
- Jeg arbejdede hele natten. (I worked all night.)
- Du arbejdede godt i går. (You worked well yesterday.)
- Han arbejdede på kontoret i fem år. (He worked in the office for five years.)
- Vi arbejdede sammen på projektet. (We worked together on the project.)
- I arbejdede på samme fabrik. (You worked in the same factory.)
- De arbejdede i haven hele dagen. (They worked in the garden all day.)
Future Tense
The future tense in Danish describes actions that will happen in the future. To conjugate a regular verb in the future tense, we use the auxiliary verb vil (will) followed by the infinitive form of the verb:
| Danish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| at arbejde | ɑːt ɑːbəjðə | to work |
| jeg vil arbejde | jɑj vɪl ɑːbəjðə | I will work |
| du vil arbejde | duː vɪl ɑːbəjðə | you will work (singular) |
| han/hun/den/det vil arbejde | hɑn/hun/dən/dət vɪl ɑːbəjðə | he/she/it will work |
| vi vil arbejde | viː vɪl ɑːbəjðə | we will work |
| I vil arbejde | iː vɪl ɑːbəjðə | you will work (plural) |
| de vil arbejde | deː vɪl ɑːbəjðə | they will work |
For example:
- Jeg vil arbejde mere i fremtiden. (I will work more in the future.)
- Du vil arbejde for os i morgen. (You will work for us tomorrow.)
- Han vil arbejde i udlandet. (He will work abroad.)
- Vi vil arbejde sammen om projektet. (We will work together on the project.)
- I vil arbejde på nye opgaver. (You will work on new tasks.)
- De vil arbejde på fabrikken i et år fremover. (They will work in the factory for a year.)
Practice Exercises
Now that you have learned how to conjugate regular verbs in Danish, it's time to practice. Complete the following exercises by filling in the blanks with the correct form of the verb.
- Jeg ______ til koncert i aften. (I am going to a concert tonight.)
- Du ______ altid hurtigt. (You always work quickly.)
- Han ______ på kontoret i dag. (He is working in the office today.)
- Vi ______ sammen om opgaven. (We are working together on the task.)
- I ______ på den samme restaurant hver uge. (You eat at the same restaurant every week.)
- De ______ i haven i går. (They worked in the garden yesterday.)
- Jeg ______ mit bedste. (I did my best.)
- Du ______ altid hårdt. (You always work hard.)
- Hun ______ som frisør. (She works as a hairdresser.)
- Vi