Practicing Clearer Pronunciation | Learn Danish in English

Danish lesson set in a contemporary Copenhagen everyday setting: In a language classroom, two adults use audio to slow down a sentence and practice clearer pronunciation..

EN → DA / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Practicing Clearer Pronunciation to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Må jeg lytte til lydoptagelsen?

moh yai LÜWTH-ob-tay-gəl-sən Can I listen to the audio?
B

Lad os lytte sammen.

leth us LEW-duh SAM-un Let's listen together.
A

Det går for hurtigt for mig.

deh gaw faw HOO-dee faw my It's too fast for me.
B

Jeg gør den langsommere.

yai kur den LONG-som-uh-ruh I'll slow it down.
A

Hvordan udtaler jeg denne sætning?

voh-DAN oot-TAY-luh yai DEN-uh SED-ning How do I pronounce this sentence?
B

Lyt én gang, og gentag så efter mig.

LEWDT ayn GONG, oh GEN-tay soh EF-tuh my Listen once, then repeat after me.
A

Lad mig prøve igen.

leth my PRUR-vuh ee-GEN Let me try again.
B

Det lyder tydeligere nu.

deh LEW-thuh TEW-thuh-lee-uh-ruh noo That sounds clearer now.

Word by Word

“Må” asks for permission here: “Can I listen...?” The pattern “Må jeg + infinitive” is useful when asking whether you may do something. You would use it when speaking politely to a teacher, colleague, or another person.
jeg “jeg” means “I” and names the person who wants to listen in “Må jeg lytte til lydoptagelsen?” It is used before a verb when the speaker describes their own action. You would use it whenever you speak about yourself.
lytte “lytte” means “listen” in “Må jeg lytte til lydoptagelsen?” It follows “Må” in this permission question and is used with “til” before what you listen to. You would use it for listening to audio, music, or another person.
til “til” connects “lytte” with what is being listened to in “lytte til lydoptagelsen.” It marks the target of listening. The reusable pattern is “lytte til + something,” for example when referring to audio or music.
lydoptagelsen “lydoptagelsen” means “the audio recording” and refers to the specific recording the speaker wants to hear. In “lytte til lydoptagelsen,” it names what is being listened to. You would use this form when both speakers know which recording is meant.
Lad “Lad” begins the suggestion “Lad os lytte sammen,” meaning “Let’s listen together.” The reusable pattern “Lad os + infinitive” is used to suggest a shared action. You would use it when inviting another person to do something with you.
os “os” refers to the speaker and the listener together in “Lad os lytte sammen,” giving the suggestion its “let’s” meaning. It follows “Lad” in the pattern “Lad os + infinitive.” You would use it when including yourself and at least one other person in an action.
sammen “sammen” means “together” in “Lad os lytte sammen.” It shows that the speakers will perform the action as a group. It is useful after an action when emphasizing shared activity.
Det “Det” is the neutral “it” referring to what is being heard or how it sounds in “Det går for hurtigt for mig” and “Det lyder tydeligere nu.” It stands as the subject while the sentence evaluates the audio or its sound. You would use it in similar sentences about an impersonal situation or result.
går “går” describes how the audio is proceeding in “Det går for hurtigt for mig,” where the meaning is that it is going too fast. Here it is about pace, not walking. The pattern “Det går for hurtigt” is useful when saying that an activity or process is moving too fast.
for “for” has two meanings in this dialogue: “too” in “for hurtigt” and “for” in “for mig.” With “hurtigt,” it shows that the speed is excessive; with “mig,” it shows whose experience is being described. These patterns are useful for saying that something is too much for a person or for a situation.
hurtigt “hurtigt” describes the speed in “Det går for hurtigt for mig,” meaning that the audio proceeds too fast. Together with “for,” it expresses excessive speed. You would use it when describing how quickly speech, audio, or an activity moves.
mig “mig” refers to the speaker in “for mig,” meaning that the speed is too fast for that person, and in “efter mig,” meaning that someone should repeat after the speaker. It appears after “for” and “efter” in these two expressions. You would use it when describing something affecting you or when asking someone to follow your model.
gør “gør” means “makes” in “Jeg gør den langsommere,” describing a change to the audio’s speed. It is used with “den” and “langsommere” to show that something is made slower. The pattern “gør + object + comparative” is useful for describing a change in a quality.
den “den” means “it” and refers back to the audio recording in “Jeg gør den langsommere.” It is the thing whose speed is being changed. You would use it when referring back to a known thing instead of repeating its name.
langsommere “langsommere” means “slower” in “Jeg gør den langsommere.” It describes the new speed that the audio is being changed to. The pattern “gør noget langsommere” is useful when saying that something should move or play at a slower speed.
Hvordan “Hvordan” means “how” and starts the question “Hvordan udtaler jeg denne sætning?” It asks about the way an action is performed. You would use it at the beginning of questions about how to do something.
udtaler “udtaler” means “pronounce” in “Hvordan udtaler jeg denne sætning?” It describes the act the speaker wants help with. You would use it when asking about the pronunciation of a sentence or another spoken form.
denne “denne” means “this” and points to the specific sentence in “denne sætning.” It comes before the noun to identify one particular thing close to the speaker’s attention. You would use “denne + noun” when indicating a specific item.
sætning “sætning” means “sentence” and names what the speaker wants to pronounce in “Hvordan udtaler jeg denne sætning?” It is the object of the pronunciation question. You would use it when referring to a spoken or written sentence.
Lyt “Lyt” is the instruction “Listen” in “Lyt én gang, og gentag så efter mig.” It tells the listener to pay attention before doing the next action. You would use it when giving a direct instruction during practice or teaching.
én “én” means “one” in “én gang,” giving the number of times the listener should listen. It specifies a single occurrence. You would use it with “gang” when instructing someone to do something one time.
gang “gang” means “time” in “én gang,” referring to one occasion of listening. Together, “én gang” tells the learner to listen once. You would use it after a number when counting how many times an action should happen.
og “og” means “and” and connects the two instructions in “Lyt én gang, og gentag så efter mig.” It links the listening step to the following repetition step. You would use it to join two actions or ideas.
gentag “gentag” means “repeat” and gives the second instruction in “gentag så efter mig.” The reusable pattern “gentag efter + person” tells someone to copy what another person says. You would use it when guiding pronunciation or language practice.
“så” means “then” in “gentag så efter mig,” marking the next step after listening once. It helps order the two actions in the instruction. You would use it when telling someone what to do next.
efter “efter” means “after” or “following” in “efter mig,” showing that the listener should repeat following the speaker’s model. The pattern “gentag efter + person” is useful when one person says something and another copies it. You would use it in guided speaking or pronunciation practice.
prøve “prøve” means “try” in “Lad mig prøve igen,” where the speaker asks to make another attempt. It follows “Lad mig” in the pattern “Lad mig + infinitive.” You would use this when asking to attempt an action yourself.
igen “igen” means “again” in “Lad mig prøve igen,” showing that the speaker will make another attempt. It comes after the action being repeated. You would use it when retrying something after a first attempt.
lyder “lyder” means “sounds” in “Det lyder tydeligere nu,” describing how the result is perceived. It is used with a description of the sound or impression. You would use “Det lyder” when giving an opinion about how something sounds.
tydeligere “tydeligere” means “clearer” in “Det lyder tydeligere nu,” comparing the current pronunciation with the earlier attempt. It describes an improvement in clarity. You would use it when giving positive feedback about speech or another sound.
nu “nu” means “now” in “Det lyder tydeligere nu,” marking the current result after practice. It contrasts the present state with what was heard earlier. You would use it when commenting on a change that is true at this moment.

Grammar Points

-ere til sammenligning: langsommere, tydeligere

Det lyder tydeligere.

deh LEW-thuh TEW-thuh-lee-uh-ruh

It sounds clearer.

Danish often forms the comparative of adjectives with -ere. tydelig → tydeligere means “clearer”; langsom → langsommere means “slower”.

Danish Vocabulary

gentag verb
GEN-tay repeat
hurtigt adv
HOO-dee fast; quickly
igen adv
ee-GEN again
langsommere adj
LONG-som-uh-ruh slower
lyder verb
LEW-thuh sounds
lydoptagelsen noun
LEWTH-ob-tay-gəl-sən the audio recording
Gender
common
lytte verb
LEW-duh to listen
prøve verb
PRUR-vuh to try
sammen adv
SAM-un together
sætning noun
SED-ning sentence
Gender
common
tydeligere adj
TEW-thuh-lee-uh-ruh clearer
udtaler verb
oot-TAY-luh pronounce

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Can I listen to the audio?

Show AnswerMå jeg lytte til lydoptagelsen?

Let's listen together.

Show AnswerLad os lytte sammen.

It's too fast for me.

Show AnswerDet går for hurtigt for mig.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to try

Show Answerprøve

together

Show Answersammen

pronounce

Show Answerudtaler

slower

Show Answerlangsommere