Giving a task update | Learn Danish in English

Danish lesson set in a contemporary Copenhagen everyday setting: In a workplace, two adults review task progress, remaining checks, and when to update the team..

EN → DA / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Giving a task update to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Hvordan går det med opgaven?

VOH-dan KAWR deh meh OHB-gah-wun? How is the task going?
B

Det meste er færdigt.

deh MES-tuh air FAIR-dee. Most of it is done.
A

Hvad skal tjekkes?

vath SGAL CHEH-guhs? What needs checking?
B

Jeg skal tjekke tallene.

yai SGAL CHEH-guh TAE-luh-nuh. I need to check the numbers.
A

Holder vi tidsplanen?

HUL-uh vee TIS-plah-nun? Are we on schedule?
B

Vi kan blive færdige i eftermiddag.

vee kan BLEE-wuh FAIR-dee-uh ee EF-tuh-meh-DAE. We can finish this afternoon.
A

Skal vi opdatere teamet?

SGAL vee OHB-deh-uh TEH-muhd? Should we update the team?
B

Lad os opdatere dem, efter vi er færdige med denne del.

LAE oss OHB-deh-uh dehm, EF-tuh vee air FAIR-dee-uh meh DEH-nuh dehl. Let's update them after we finish this part.

Word by Word

Hvordan “Hvordan” means “how” in the question “Hvordan går det med opgaven?” It asks about the way something is going, and the same question pattern can be reused with another topic.
går “går” means “is going” in “Hvordan går det med opgaven?” Here it describes the progress or current state of the task, as in the reusable question “Hvordan går det med …?”.
det “det” is the impersonal “it” in “Hvordan går det med opgaven?” Together with “Hvordan går”, it refers generally to how things are going rather than to a specific person.
med “med” means “with” in “Hvordan går det med opgaven?” It connects the question about progress to the topic being discussed, and this pattern can be used with another task or situation.
opgaven “opgaven” means “the task” in “Hvordan går det med opgaven?” It is the definite form referring to the particular task the speakers are reviewing, and it follows “med” in this question pattern.
meste “meste” means “most” in “Det meste er færdigt.” It refers to most of the task or work, and the pattern “Det meste er …” can describe that most of something has a certain state.
er “er” means “is” in “Det meste er færdigt.” It links “Det meste” with its state, “færdigt”, and is also used in the dialogue with “vi er færdige” to describe being finished.
færdigt “færdigt” means “done” or “finished” in “Det meste er færdigt.” It describes the state of most of the task, while “blive færdige” in another line describes reaching the finished state.
Hvad “Hvad” means “what” in “Hvad skal tjekkes?” It asks which thing or things require checking, and it can introduce a question about what needs to be done.
skal “skal” expresses that something needs to happen in “Hvad skal tjekkes?” and “Jeg skal tjekke tallene.” It is followed by the action or construction concerned, such as “tjekkes” or “tjekke tallene”.
tjekkes “tjekkes” means “be checked” in “Hvad skal tjekkes?” It presents checking as the required action without naming the person who will do it, and it is useful when asking which items require review.
Jeg “Jeg” means “I” in “Jeg skal tjekke tallene.” It identifies the speaker as the person who needs to perform the checking, and it comes before “skal” in this sentence.
tjekke “tjekke” means “check” in “Jeg skal tjekke tallene.” It names the action that the speaker needs to carry out, and it follows “skal” in this reusable pattern.
tallene “tallene” means “the numbers” in “Jeg skal tjekke tallene.” It refers to the particular numbers being reviewed in the task, and it comes after “tjekke” as the thing being checked.
Holder “Holder” means “keeps” in “Holder vi tidsplanen?” The full question asks whether the work is staying on schedule, and this use is about maintaining the planned timing.
vi “vi” means “we” in “Holder vi tidsplanen?” and “Vi kan blive færdige i eftermiddag.” It refers to the speakers together and appears before the verb in these sentences.
tidsplanen “tidsplanen” means “the schedule” in “Holder vi tidsplanen?” It refers to the agreed timetable for the work and is the thing that the speakers ask whether they are keeping.
kan “kan” means “can” in “Vi kan blive færdige i eftermiddag.” It expresses the speakers’ ability or possibility of finishing, and it is followed by “blive færdige”.
blive “blive” contributes the idea of reaching or being in a state in “Vi kan blive færdige i eftermiddag.” Together with “færdige”, it means “finish” here, and it follows “kan”.
færdige “færdige” means “finished” in “Vi kan blive færdige i eftermiddag.” With “blive”, it describes reaching completion, and the full expression can be used when discussing when work will be completed.
i “i” means “in” in “i eftermiddag.” It introduces the time period in which the speakers expect to finish, and it is used here directly before “eftermiddag”.
eftermiddag “eftermiddag” means “afternoon” in “i eftermiddag.” The phrase gives the expected finishing time, so it is useful when stating when an action or result will happen.
opdatere “opdatere” means “update” in “Skal vi opdatere teamet?” It names the action being considered, and it follows “Skal vi” before the object “teamet”.
teamet “teamet” means “the team” in “Skal vi opdatere teamet?” It is the group that the speakers are considering updating, and it follows “opdatere” as the object of the action.
Lad os “Lad os” means “let’s” in “Lad os opdatere dem”. It makes a suggestion for the speakers to act together: “Lad” introduces the suggestion and “os” refers to the people included in it; the phrase is followed by the action “opdatere”.
dem “dem” means “them” in “Lad os opdatere dem”. It refers back to the team, the people who will receive the update, and it follows “opdatere” as the people being updated.
efter “efter” means “after” in “efter vi er færdige med denne del.” It introduces the point in time when the update should happen and is followed here by a clause describing completion.
denne “denne” means “this” in “denne del.” It points to the particular part currently being discussed, and it comes directly before “del” in the expression.
del “del” means “part” in “denne del.” It identifies the specific section of the task that the speakers want to finish before updating the team.

Grammar Points

Hvordan + verb + subject?

Hvordan går opgaven?

VOH-dan KAWR OHB-gah-wun?

How is the task going?

In a direct question, hvordan comes first, followed by the verb and then the subject.

Lad os + infinitive

Lad os tjekke tallene.

LAE oss CHEH-guh TAE-luh-nuh.

Let's check the numbers.

Lad os introduces a suggestion and is followed by the infinitive form of the verb.

Danish Vocabulary

det meste phrase
deh MES-tuh most of it
færdigt adj
FAIR-dee done / finished
Gender
neuter
går verb
KAWR is going
holder verb
HUL-uh keeps / holds
hvad pron
vath what
hvordan adv
VOH-dan how
jeg pron
yai I
opgaven noun
OHB-gah-wun the task
Gender
common
tallene noun
TAE-luh-nuh the numbers
Gender
neuter
tidsplanen noun
TIS-plah-nun the schedule
Gender
common
tjekke verb
CHEH-guh check
vi pron
vee we

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

How is the task going?

Show AnswerHvordan går det med opgaven?

Most of it is done.

Show AnswerDet meste er færdigt.

What needs checking?

Show AnswerHvad skal tjekkes?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

how

Show Answerhvordan

the task

Show Answeropgaven

the numbers

Show Answertallene

what

Show Answerhvad