Basic needs and preferences | Learn Danish in English

Danish lesson set in a contemporary Copenhagen everyday setting: A beginner practices six useful English phrases about basic needs, wishes, and preferences..

EN → DA / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Basic needs and preferences to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Jeg har brug for hjælp.

yigh hah BROO fo-uh YELB I need some help.
B

Jeg har brug for vand.

yigh hah BROO fo-uh VAN I need some water.
A

Jeg vil have den her.

yigh vel HAY-wuh den HAIR I want this one.
B

Jeg vil have den der.

yigh vel HAY-wuh den DAIR I want that one.
A

Jeg kan lide den her.

yigh kan LEE-thuh den HAIR I like this one.
B

Jeg kan ikke lide den.

yigh kan IG-uh LEE-thuh den I do not like it.

Word by Word

Jeg In this dialogue, “Jeg” means “I” and identifies the speaker in each sentence. It is used at the beginning of the pattern “Jeg har brug for ...” and similar statements about your own needs or preferences. You can use “Jeg” whenever you say something about yourself.
har brug for “har brug for” expresses “need” in the dialogue, as in “Jeg har brug for hjælp.” and “Jeg har brug for vand.” The whole expression contains “har” (“have”), “brug” (“use” or “need”), and “for” (“for”), but together they express needing something. A reusable pattern is “Jeg har brug for” followed by the thing you need, such as help or water.
hjælp “hjælp” means “help” in “Jeg har brug for hjælp.” It names what the speaker needs in this sentence. You can use it after “har brug for” when asking for or describing a need for help.
vand “vand” means “water” in “Jeg har brug for vand.” It names the thing the speaker needs. You can use it after “har brug for” to say that you need water.
vil “vil” expresses “want” or a wish in “Jeg vil have den her.” and “Jeg vil have den der.” It introduces what the speaker wants. A reusable pattern is “Jeg vil have” followed by the chosen thing.
have In “Jeg vil have den her.” and “Jeg vil have den der.”, “have” is part of the expression for wanting or choosing something. Together with “vil”, it forms “vil have”, meaning “want to have” in these lines. Use “vil have” before the object or item you want.
den “den” refers to “the one” or “it” in the dialogue, as in “den her”, “den der”, and “den” in “Jeg kan ikke lide den.” It points to an item that the speakers are choosing or discussing. A reusable pattern is “den” with a pointing word such as “den her” or “den der”.
her “her” means “here” and helps identify the item that is near or being indicated as the one here in “Jeg vil have den her.” and “Jeg kan lide den her.” The expression “den her” means “this one here”. Use “den her” when selecting or describing the nearby or indicated item.
der “der” means “there” and helps identify the item that is being indicated as the one there in “Jeg vil have den der.” The expression “den der” means “that one there”. Use “den der” when selecting or referring to the item indicated there.
kan lide “kan lide” is the Danish expression for “like”, as in “Jeg kan lide den her.” and “Jeg kan ikke lide den.” The whole expression gives the meaning “like”; “kan” and “lide” work together inside it, while “ikke” can be placed between them to make it negative. A reusable pattern is “Jeg kan lide” followed by the thing you like.
ikke “ikke” means “not” and makes the opinion negative in “Jeg kan ikke lide den.” It is placed between “kan” and “lide” in the expression “kan ikke lide”. Use “kan ikke lide” followed by the thing you do not like.

Grammar Points

have brug for + noun

Jeg har brug for hjælp.

yigh hah BROO fo-uh YELB

I need help.

The fixed Danish expression har brug for means “need” and is followed by the thing needed.

ikke before the verb phrase

Jeg kan ikke lide den.

yigh kan IG-uh LEE-thuh den

I do not like it.

In this sentence, ikke comes after kan and before lide to negate the verb phrase.

Danish Vocabulary

brug for phrase
BROO fo-uh need

Jeg har brug for hjælp.

den pron
den it

Jeg kan ikke lide den.

den der phrase
den DAIR that one

Jeg vil have den der.

den her phrase
den HAIR this one

Jeg vil have den her.

har verb
hah have

Jeg har brug for hjælp.

hjælp noun
YELB help

Jeg har brug for hjælp.

ikke adv
IG-uh not

Jeg kan ikke lide den.

jeg pron
yigh I

Jeg har brug for hjælp.

kan lide phrase
kan LEE-thuh like

Jeg kan lide den her.

vand noun
VAN water

Jeg har brug for vand.

vil have phrase
vel HAY-wuh want

Jeg vil have den her.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I need some help.

Show AnswerJeg har brug for hjælp.

I need some water.

Show AnswerJeg har brug for vand.

I want this one.

Show AnswerJeg vil have den her.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

help

Show Answerhjælp

water

Show Answervand

not

Show Answerikke

it

Show Answerden