Finding a missing notebook | Learn Danish in English

About This Lesson

Use Finding a missing notebook to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Min notesbog er væk.

men NOH-təs-boh air vek My notebook is missing.

Den er måske på bordet.

den air MOH-skeh poh BOHR-thuh It might be on the table.

Jeg har allerede kigget der.

yai hah al-REH-thuh KEE-uh dair I already checked there.

Se under din blå taske.

say UHN-uh deen bloh TAS-guh Look under your blue bag.

Jeg fandt den under tasken.

yai fan den UHN-uh TAS-gən I found it under the bag.

Læg den i din rygsæk nu.

leg den ee deen REW-seg noo Put it in your backpack now.

Jeg vil lægge den i forlommen.

yai vel LEG-uh den ee foh-LOM-ən I'll keep it in the front pocket.

Brug hovedlommen, så den er nem at finde.

broo HOH-uh-LOM-ən, soh den air nem tuh FEN-uh Use the main pocket so it stays easy to find.

Word by Word

Min “Min” means “my” in “Min notesbog er væk” and shows that the notebook belongs to the speaker. A common reuse pattern is “Min” followed by the thing owned, as in “Min notesbog”. You can use it when identifying your own belongings.

notesbog “notesbog” means “notebook” in “Min notesbog er væk”. It is the item that is missing and is later referred to by “den”. Use “notesbog” when talking about a notebook in everyday situations, such as looking for one.

er “er” means “is” in “Min notesbog er væk”. Together with “væk”, “er væk” describes the notebook as missing or gone. This is useful when reporting that an item cannot be found.

væk “væk” means “missing” or “gone” in “Min notesbog er væk”. The expression “er væk” describes the current state of an item that is not where expected. Use it when telling someone that a person or thing is no longer there or cannot be found.

Den “Den” means “it” or “that one” in “Den er måske på bordet” and refers back to the notebook. It is used before “er” as the subject of the sentence. You can use “Den” to refer back to a known item while suggesting where it may be.

måske “måske” means “maybe” in “Den er måske på bordet” and signals that the location is uncertain. It can be placed before the rest of the information being suggested, as in “måske på bordet”. Use it when making a tentative guess.

på “på” means “on” in “på bordet” and identifies the surface where the notebook might be. A common location pattern is “på” followed by the place or surface. Use it when suggesting that something is resting on a table or another surface.

bordet “bordet” means “the table” in “Den er måske på bordet”. It is the definite form used for the specific table being considered in the conversation. Use it when referring to a particular table that the people know about.

Jeg “Jeg” means “I” in “Jeg har allerede kigget der” and identifies the speaker as the person who checked. It comes at the beginning here as the subject. Use “Jeg” when describing your own action or experience.

har “har” means “have” in “Jeg har allerede kigget der” and works with “kigget” to describe a check that has already been made. The reusable pattern is “Jeg har” followed by the completed action, such as “Jeg har allerede kigget der”. Use it when telling someone what you have done.

allerede “allerede” means “already” in “Jeg har allerede kigget der” and shows that the checking happened before this point. It appears between “har” and “kigget” in this sentence. Use it to make clear that an expected action has happened before someone suggests it.

kigget “kigget” means “looked” or “checked” in “Jeg har allerede kigget der”. With “har”, it describes the speaker’s completed check of that place. A common reuse pattern is “har kigget” followed by a place, such as “har kigget der”.

der “der” means “there” in “Jeg har allerede kigget der” and points to the place just discussed, the table. It follows the action “kigget” to say where the speaker looked. Use it when referring to a known location without naming it again.

Se “Se” means “look” in “Se under din blå taske” and tells the other person to look. It begins a direct instruction. Use “Se” when directing someone’s attention to a person, object, or place.

under “under” means “under” in “under din blå taske” and gives the position where the notebook may be found. A common location pattern is “under” followed by the object above it. Use it when telling someone to check beneath something.

din “din” means “your” in “din blå taske” and identifies the bag as belonging to the person being addressed. It comes before the description “blå taske”. Use “din” when directing someone to their own object.

blå “blå” means “blue” in “din blå taske” and identifies which bag to check. It comes before “taske” as part of the description. Use it when distinguishing a blue object from other similar objects.

taske “taske” means “bag” in “din blå taske”. It names the object under which the notebook is found. Use “taske” when talking about an everyday bag, especially in a location phrase such as “under din blå taske”.

fandt “fandt” means “found” in “Jeg fandt den under tasken” and reports that the speaker located the notebook. It describes the discovery as a completed action. Use “fandt” when telling someone that you located a missing object.

Læg “Læg” means “put” or “place” in “Læg den i din rygsæk nu” and gives a direct instruction about where to put the notebook. It is followed here by “den” and the destination “i din rygsæk”. Use “Læg” when asking someone to place an object somewhere.

i “i” means “in” in “i din rygsæk” and introduces the container where the notebook should be placed. A common pattern is “i” followed by a container or enclosed place. Use it when saying that something should go inside a bag or backpack.

rygsæk “rygsæk” means “backpack” in “din rygsæk”. It is the container where the notebook should be kept. Use “rygsæk” when talking about carrying or storing something in a backpack.

nu “nu” means “now” in “Læg den i din rygsæk nu” and says that the action should happen at the present time. It appears at the end of this instruction. Use it when asking someone to do something immediately.

vil “vil” expresses “will” or an intention in “Jeg vil lægge den i forlommen”. It is followed by “lægge”, which names the intended action. Use “Jeg vil” when saying what you intend or plan to do.

lægge “lægge” means “put” or “keep” in “Jeg vil lægge den i forlommen”. After “vil”, it states the action the speaker intends to carry out. A common reuse pattern is “Jeg vil lægge” followed by an object and its destination.

forlommen “forlommen” means “the front pocket” in “i forlommen”. It identifies the specific pocket where the speaker intends to keep the notebook. Use it when directing someone to a front pocket of a bag or similar item.

Brug “Brug” means “use” in “Brug hovedlommen” and gives a direct instruction to use a particular pocket. It is followed by the object being recommended, “hovedlommen”. Use “Brug” when telling someone which available object or feature to choose.

hovedlommen “hovedlommen” means “the main pocket” in “Brug hovedlommen”. It names the specific pocket recommended for keeping the notebook easy to find. Use it when referring to the primary or largest pocket of the bag in this context.

så “så” means “so” or “so that” in “så den er nem at finde” and connects the recommended storage place with its purpose. Here it introduces the result that the notebook will be easy to find. Use “så” to link an action or choice with the intended result.

nem “nem” means “easy” in “nem at finde”. Together with “at finde”, it describes finding the notebook as requiring little effort. Use the pattern “nem at” followed by an action when saying that something is easy to do.

at “at” introduces the action in the expression “nem at finde”, meaning “easy to find”. It comes directly before “finde” in this reusable pattern. Use “at” here when linking an adjective such as “nem” with an action.

finde “finde” means “find” in “nem at finde”. With “nem at”, it completes the expression describing something that is easy to locate. Use the pattern “nem at finde” when explaining that an object or place can be located easily.

Grammar Points

ubestemt substantiv + -en/-et

på bordet

poh BOHR-thuh

on the table

Danish often marks “the” by adding -en or -et to the noun, unlike English.

imperativ: verbstamme uden -e

Brug din rygsæk.

broo deen REW-seg

Use your backpack.

The imperative is formed by removing -e from the infinitive: bruge becomes Brug.

Danish Vocabulary

allerede adv

al-REH-thuh already

bord noun

bohr table bordet

Gender: neuter

den pron

den it

Gender: common

der adv

dair there

kigge verb

KEE-uh to look; to check kigget

min det

men my

Gender: common

måske adv

MOH-skeh maybe; might

notesbog noun

NOH-təs-boh notebook

Gender: common

på prep

poh on

se verb

say to look; look Se

væk adv

vek missing; away

være verb

VAIR-uh to be er

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

My notebook is missing.

Show Answer

Min notesbog er væk.

It might be on the table.

Show Answer

Den er måske på bordet.

I already checked there.

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Jeg har allerede kigget der.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

table

Show Answer

bordet

maybe; might

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måske

already

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allerede

notebook

Show Answer

notesbog