Asking for help with a task | Learn Danish in English

About This Lesson

Use Asking for help with a task to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Jeg har brug for hjælp til denne opgave.

YIGH hahr BROO foh-uh YELB tehl DEN-uh OHB-geh-vuh. I need help with this task.

Hvilken del er svær?

VEL-gun dayl air sveh-uh? Which part feels difficult?

Den første del er uklar.

Den FUR-stuh dayl air OO-klahr. The first part is unclear.

Jeg kan gennemgå den sammen med dig.

YIGH kan GEN-um-GOH den SAM-un meh digh. I can walk you through it.

Skal jeg begynde med denne fil?

Skel yigh beh-GURN-uh meh DEN-uh feel? Should I start with this file?

Start dér, og vis mig så, hvad du har.

Stahrd DAIR, aw VEES migh soh, vah doo hahr. Start there, then show me what you have.

Jeg prøver det nu.

YIGH PRUR-vuh deh noo. I'll try that now.

Jeg kan tjekke dit arbejde bagefter.

YIGH kan CHEK-uh deed AH-bigh-thuh BAIR-ef-tuh. I can check your work after that.

Word by Word

Jeg “Jeg” means “I” in this dialogue: the speaker refers to themself. It appears at the beginning of statements such as “Jeg har brug for hjælp til denne opgave.” Use it when stating your own need or action.

har In “Jeg har brug for hjælp til denne opgave”, “har” helps express that the speaker needs something. It is part of the reusable pattern for saying that you need help or another thing. Use it when explaining a need in a workplace or everyday situation.

brug for “brug for” is the expression for “need” in “Jeg har brug for hjælp til denne opgave”. The components “brug” and “for” work together to form this expression, so the whole phrase carries the meaning. It is reused with the thing that is needed, such as help with a task.

hjælp “hjælp” means “help” in “Jeg har brug for hjælp til denne opgave”. With “til”, it identifies what kind of support is needed for the task. Use it when asking a colleague, friend, or other person for assistance.

til In “hjælp til denne opgave”, “til” connects the help with the task it concerns. It can be reused to link help with a particular task or activity. Here it introduces “denne opgave”, the task needing support.

denne “denne” means “this” and points to the specific task in “denne opgave”. It comes directly before the noun it identifies. Use it when referring to one particular nearby task, file, or item.

opgave “opgave” means “task” in “denne opgave”. Together, “denne opgave” identifies the particular piece of work being discussed. Use it when asking for or describing help with a task.

Hvilken “Hvilken” means “which” in the question “Hvilken del er svær?”. It asks the listener to identify one part from the task. Use it before a noun when asking which specific item or part is meant.

del “del” means “part” in “Hvilken del er svær?”. It refers to one section of the task rather than the whole task. Use it when discussing a section or component of work.

er In “Hvilken del er svær?”, “er” links the part with the description “svær”. It is also used in “Den første del er uklar” to describe the state of a part. Use it when stating what something is like or what condition it is in.

svær “svær” means “difficult” in “Hvilken del er svær?”. It describes the part that feels hard for the speaker. Use it to identify a difficult part of a task or activity.

Den “Den” means “the” in “Den første del er uklar” and points to the specific part being discussed. It occurs before the description “første del”. Use it when referring to a particular item already identified in the conversation.

første “første” means “first” in “Den første del”. It identifies the part that comes at the beginning of the task. Use it before a noun when specifying the first item or section.

uklar “uklar” means “unclear” in “Den første del er uklar”. It describes information or instructions that the speaker does not understand clearly. Use it when explaining why a part of a task needs clarification.

kan “kan” expresses ability or an offer in “Jeg kan gennemgå den sammen med dig” and “Jeg kan tjekke dit arbejde bagefter”. It is followed by the action the speaker offers or is able to do. Use it when offering practical help to someone.

gennemgå “gennemgå” means “go through” or “review” in “Jeg kan gennemgå den sammen med dig”. It describes examining or explaining the task step by step with another person. Use it when offering to review unclear work together.

sammen “sammen” means “together” in “sammen med dig”. It shows that the speaker and listener will do the activity jointly. Use it when describing shared work or an activity done with another person.

med In “sammen med dig”, “med” means “with” and connects the activity to the person joining it. It is reused in the pattern of doing something together with someone. Here it introduces “dig”, the person receiving the help.

dig “dig” means “you” in “sammen med dig”. It identifies the person who will take part in the review. Use it when referring to the person being addressed after “med”.

Skal “Skal” introduces the question “Skal jeg begynde med denne fil?” and asks whether the speaker should take the proposed action. It is useful for asking for guidance or permission about what to do next. Here the action follows in “begynde med denne fil”.

begynde “begynde” means “start” or “begin” in “Skal jeg begynde med denne fil?”. It names the action the speaker is considering. Use it when asking where or with what to start a task.

fil “fil” means “file” in “denne fil”. It identifies the document or digital item the speaker may start with. Use it when discussing which file to open or work on first.

Start “Start” gives the direct instruction “Start dér”. It tells the listener to begin at the indicated place or point. Use it when guiding someone through the first step of a task.

dér “dér” means “there” in “Start dér” and points to the place or item just indicated. It avoids repeating that starting point. Use it when directing someone to a specific location or point in a process.

og “og” means “and” in “Start dér, og vis mig så, hvad du har”. It joins the instruction to start with the next instruction to show the result. Use it to connect two related actions.

vis “vis” means “show” in “vis mig så, hvad du har”. It asks the listener to present the work or result to the speaker. Use it when asking someone to show you a document, result, or piece of work.

mig “mig” means “me” in “vis mig så, hvad du har”. It identifies the person who should be shown the work. Use it after an action such as “vis” when you are the recipient of what is shown.

så “så” means “then” in “vis mig så, hvad du har”. It marks the next step after starting at the indicated point. Use it to order actions in a process.

hvad “hvad” means “what” in “hvad du har”. It introduces the thing the listener has and should show. Use it when referring to an unspecified item or result.

du “du” means “you” in “hvad du har”. It identifies the person whose work or result is being discussed. Use it when addressing one person directly.

prøver “prøver” expresses “try” in “Jeg prøver det nu”. It says that the speaker will attempt the suggested action immediately. Use it when responding positively to guidance and beginning an attempt.

det In “Jeg prøver det nu”, “det” means “it” or “that” and refers to the suggested action. It lets the speaker avoid repeating the instruction. Use it when the action is already clear from the conversation.

nu “nu” means “now” in “Jeg prøver det nu”. It places the attempt at the present moment rather than later. Use it when saying that an action is happening immediately.

tjekke “tjekke” means “check” in “Jeg kan tjekke dit arbejde bagefter”. It describes reviewing the listener’s work for the next stage. Use it when offering to inspect work after someone has tried a task.

dit “dit” means “your” in “dit arbejde” and identifies the work as belonging to the person being addressed. It comes directly before “arbejde”. Use it when referring to one person’s work or result.

arbejde “arbejde” means “work” in “dit arbejde”. Here it refers to the result of the task that the speaker will check. Use it when discussing someone’s work in a practical or workplace context.

bagefter “bagefter” means “afterwards” in “Jeg kan tjekke dit arbejde bagefter”. It places the checking after the listener has tried the task. Use it to describe a later step that follows an earlier action.

Grammar Points

har brug for + noun

har brug for hjælp

hahr BROO foh-uh YELB

need help

Danish uses the fixed expression har brug for + noun to express “need”; brug for is not translated word for word.

Imperative: verb stem

Vis

VEES

Show

The imperative of vise is vis. Danish commonly uses this short verb form for direct requests or instructions.

Danish Vocabulary

brug for phrase

BROO foh-uh need

del noun

dayl part

Gender: common

dig pron

digh you

første adj

FUR-stuh first

gennemgå verb

GEN-um-GOH go through

have verb

HEH-vuh have har

hjælp noun

YELB help

Gender: common

hvilken det

VEL-gun which

Gender: common

opgave noun

OHB-geh-vuh task

Gender: common

sammen med phrase

SAM-un meh together with

svær adj

sveh-uh difficult

uklar adj

OO-klahr unclear

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Which part feels difficult?

Show Answer

Hvilken del er svær?

The first part is unclear.

Show Answer

Den første del er uklar.

Should I start with this file?

Show Answer

Skal jeg begynde med denne fil?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

task

Show Answer

opgave

which

Show Answer

hvilken

unclear

Show Answer

uklar

help

Show Answer

hjælp