Moving Forward in Line | Learn Danish in English

Danish lesson set in a contemporary Copenhagen everyday setting: At a counter line, two adults move forward, get ready with a card, and prepare to order..

EN → DA / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Moving Forward in Line to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Køen rykker frem.

KURR-en RUEG-er FREHM. The line is moving forward.
B

Vi bør rykke frem nu.

vee BUR RUEG-uh FREHM noo. We should step up now.
A

Er det vores tur?

air deh VOR-suh TOOR? Are we next?
B

Næsten, der står én person foran os.

NES-den, dair stohr AYN pair-SOHN foh-RAN ohs. Almost, there is one person ahead of us.
A

Jeg har mit kort klar.

yigh hah meh KORd klahr. I have my card ready.
B

Hold det i hånden.

holl deh ee HAWN-en. Keep it in your hand.
A

Jeg er klar til at bestille.

yigh air klahr teh ad beh-STIL-uh. I am ready to order.
B

De kan tage imod vores bestilling bagefter.

dee kan TAY-uh ee-MOH VOR-suh beh-STEL-ing BEH-uhf-dair. They can take our order next.

Word by Word

Køen “Køen” means “the line” or “the queue” in this dialogue. It is the line being described in “Køen rykker frem.” The citation form is “kø”; “Køen” is the form used for a specific line.
rykker “rykker” means “moves forward” here, as part of “rykker frem.” Use it with “frem” when describing a line or person moving forward.
frem “frem” means “forward” in “Køen rykker frem” and “rykke frem.” It is used after a movement word to show the direction of movement, such as when people in a line advance.
Vi “Vi” means “we” in “Vi bør rykke frem nu.” Use it as the subject when referring to yourself and at least one other person.
bør “bør” means “should” and expresses that moving forward is the advisable action now. It is followed by the infinitive “rykke” in “Vi bør rykke frem nu.”
rykke “rykke” means “move forward” or “step up” in “Vi bør rykke frem nu.” After “bør,” it appears in this form, and it is used with “frem” for moving ahead in a line.
nu “nu” means “now” and places the action at the present moment. In “Vi bør rykke frem nu,” it shows that the speakers should move forward immediately.
Er “Er” means “are” at the beginning of “Er det vores tur?” It is the form of “være” used here to ask whether something is the case.
det “det” is the “it” element in the question “Er det vores tur?” Together with “Er” and “vores tur,” it helps ask whether it is the speakers’ turn.
vores “vores” means “our” and shows that the turn belongs to the speakers in “vores tur.” Use it before a noun for something belonging to or associated with more than one speaker.
tur “tur” means “turn” in the expression “vores tur,” so “Er det vores tur?” asks whether it is the speakers’ turn. It is commonly used after a possessive word when talking about whose turn it is.
Næsten “Næsten” means “almost” in this reply. It shows that the speakers are nearly next, but the situation is not quite there yet.
der “der” means “there” in “der står én person foran os” and introduces the person who is present ahead of the speakers. Use it in this kind of pattern when stating that someone or something is in a particular situation or position.
står “står” means “stands” in “der står én person foran os,” describing the person’s position in the line. The citation form is “stå”; this exact form is used with “der” to describe someone standing there.
én “én” means “one” in “én person,” showing that exactly one person is ahead of the speakers. Use it directly before a singular noun when referring to one person or thing.
person “person” means “person” in “én person.” It is used after the number “én” to identify who is standing ahead in the line.
foran “foran” means “in front of” or “ahead of” in “foran os.” Use it with the person or group that is being used as the reference point, here “os.”
os “os” means “us” in “foran os,” referring to the two speakers. It follows “foran” to show that the person is ahead of them.
Jeg “Jeg” means “I” in “Jeg har mit kort klar” and “Jeg er klar til at bestille.” Use it as the subject when the speaker is referring to themself.
har “har” means “have” in “Jeg har mit kort klar,” expressing that the speaker has the card with them. It is used before the object “mit kort” in a basic possession pattern.
mit “mit” means “my” before “kort” in “mit kort.” It identifies the card as belonging to the speaker and is placed directly before the noun.
kort “kort” means “card” in “mit kort.” Use it after the possessive “mit” when referring to the card the speaker has ready for the order.
klar “klar” means “ready” in “Jeg har mit kort klar” and “Jeg er klar til at bestille.” It describes readiness and can follow the thing that is ready or follow “er” for a person’s readiness.
Hold “Hold” means “keep” or “hold” in the instruction “Hold det i hånden.” It tells someone to keep the card in a particular position; the citation form is “holde.”
i “i” means “in” in “i hånden.” It introduces the place where the card should be kept.
hånden “hånden” means “the hand” in “Hold det i hånden.” The citation form is “hånd”; “hånden” is the form used for a specific hand in this expression.
til “til” contributes the meaning “to” in “klar til at bestille,” linking readiness with the action that is about to happen. In this construction, it is followed by “at bestille.”
at “at” introduces the action “bestille” in “klar til at bestille.” Together with “bestille,” it forms the infinitive phrase used after “til.”
bestille “bestille” means “order” in “Jeg er klar til at bestille.” It is the action the speaker is ready to do and appears after “at” in this infinitive phrase.
De “De” means “they” in “De kan tage imod vores bestilling bagefter,” referring to the people who will receive the order. Use it as the subject when referring to those people.
kan “kan” means “can” and expresses ability or possibility in “De kan tage imod vores bestilling bagefter.” It is followed by the infinitive “tage” in this sentence.
tage imod “tage imod” means “receive” or “take” here, specifically receive the speakers’ order. “tage” supplies the idea of taking, while “imod” adds the sense of receiving something, and the whole expression is followed by “vores bestilling.”
bestilling “bestilling” means “order” in “vores bestilling,” referring to what the speakers want to order. Use it after a possessive word when talking about someone’s order.
bagefter “bagefter” means “afterwards” or “next” in “De kan tage imod vores bestilling bagefter.” It places receiving the order after the current step, such as after the people ahead have been served.

Grammar Points

-en / -n som bestemt endelse

Køen og hånden

KURR-en oh HAWN-en

The line and the hand

Bestemt form dannes ofte med -en eller -n til sidst på substantivet.

klar til at + infinitiv

klar til at bestille

KLAHR teh ad beh-STIL-uh

ready to order

Efter klar bruges til at før et verbum i infinitiv.

Danish Vocabulary

der pron
dair there
én num
AYN one
foran prep
foh-RAN in front of
kø noun
KURR line Køen
nu adv
NOO now
næsten adv
NES-den almost
os pron
ohs us
person noun
pair-SOHN person
rykke frem phrase
RUEG-uh FREHM move forward rykker frem
stå verb
STOHR stand står
tur noun
TOOR turn
vores det
VOR-suh our

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

The line is moving forward.

Show AnswerKøen rykker frem.

We should step up now.

Show AnswerVi bør rykke frem nu.

Are we next?

Show AnswerEr det vores tur?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

stand

Show Answerstår

almost

Show Answernæsten

our

Show Answervores

line

Show AnswerKøen