Using a Shared Fridge | Learn Danish in English

About This Lesson

Use Using a Shared Fridge to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Må jeg bruge det fælles køleskab?

maw yai BROO-eh deh FELL-ess KURR-luh-SGAY Can I use the shared fridge?

Sæt en etiket på din mad, før du sætter den ind.

SED en eh-tee-KAYD poh deen MAYTH, FURR doo SED-uh den en Label your food before you put it in.

Hvor kan jeg finde en etiket?

vohr kan yai FEN-eh en eh-tee-KAYD Where can I find a label?

Der er etiketter ved siden af køleskabet.

dair air eh-tee-KAYD-uh veh SEE-thn ow KURR-luh-sgAB-eth There are labels beside the fridge.

Er der nok plads derinde?

air dair NOHK PLESS dair-EN-eh Is there enough space inside?

Brug den øverste hylde. Der er plads der.

BROO den URR-vuh-steh HURR-luh. dair air PLESS dair Use the top shelf; there is room there.

Jeg tager min mad ud senere.

yai TAY-uh men MAYTH OOTH SAY-nuh-uh I will take my food out later.

Så er der plads til andre.

SOH air dair PLESS tel AN-ruh That keeps space open for other people.

Word by Word

Må “Må” asks for permission in “Må jeg bruge det fælles køleskab?” It is used before the person and the action: “Må jeg ...?” This is useful when asking whether you are allowed to do something.

jeg “jeg” means “I” and identifies the person asking in “Må jeg bruge det fælles køleskab?” It normally appears as the subject before the action, as in “jeg bruge”. Use it when talking about yourself.

bruge “bruge” means “use” in “Må jeg bruge det fælles køleskab?” This form follows “Må jeg” in the permission question. A reusable pattern is “Må jeg bruge ...?” when asking to use something.

det In “det fælles køleskab”, “det” marks the fridge as a specific item and means “the”. It appears before the descriptive word and noun in this phrase. Use “det” in a similar pattern before a specific neuter noun with a description.

fælles “fælles” means “shared” in “det fælles køleskab”, describing a fridge used by more than one person. It comes before the noun “køleskab” in this phrase. Use it when describing something belonging to or used by several people.

køleskab “køleskab” means “fridge” in “det fælles køleskab”. Here it is the thing that the speaker asks to use. It can be used after a describing word, as in “fælles køleskab”.

Sæt “Sæt” tells someone to put or place something in “Sæt en etiket på din mad”. It is an instruction directed at the other person. Use “Sæt ... på ...” when telling someone to place something on a surface or item.

en “en” means “a” in “en etiket”, introducing one unspecified label. It comes directly before the noun “etiket”. Use it before a similar singular noun when referring to one non-specific item.

etiket “etiket” means “label” in “Sæt en etiket på din mad”. The label is the item being placed on the food. A reusable pattern is “en etiket på ...” for a label placed on something.

på “på” means “on” in “en etiket på din mad”, showing where the label is placed. It connects “en etiket” with “din mad”. Use “på” for something located or placed on a surface or item.

din “din” means “your” in “din mad”, showing that the food belongs to or is associated with the person being addressed. It comes before “mad”. Use “din” before something connected with the person you are speaking to.

mad “mad” means “food” in “din mad”. It is the item that should receive the label and later be put in the fridge. Use it after a possessive word, as in “min mad” or “din mad”.

før “før” means “before” in “før du sætter den ind”, introducing the action that must happen first. It connects the labeling instruction with the later action. Use “før” before a clause to say that one action happens earlier than another.

du “du” means “you” in “før du sætter den ind”, identifying the person who puts the food in. It appears before the action in this clause. Use it when addressing one person directly.

sætter “sætter” describes putting or placing something in “du sætter den ind”. The object “den” comes before the direction word “ind”. Use “sætter ... ind” when describing placing something inside.

den In “du sætter den ind”, “den” means “it” and refers back to the food. It is the thing being put inside, while “ind” gives the direction. Use “den” to refer back to a specific item in a similar action.

ind “ind” means “in” or “inside” in “sætter den ind”, showing movement into the fridge. It follows the object “den” in this expression. Use “... ind” after an action to show that something is moved inside.

Hvor “Hvor” means “where” in “Hvor kan jeg finde en etiket?” and asks about a location. It comes at the beginning of the question. Use “Hvor kan jeg finde ...?” when asking where to find something.

kan “kan” means “can” in “Hvor kan jeg finde en etiket?”, expressing ability or asking whether something is possible. It comes before the subject “jeg” in this question. Use “kan” before an action when asking if someone can do it.

finde “finde” means “find” in “Hvor kan jeg finde en etiket?” This form follows “kan jeg” in the question. A reusable pattern is “Hvor kan jeg finde ...?” when asking for the location of something.

Der “Der” introduces the existence of something in “Der er etiketter ved siden af køleskabet”. In “Der er plads der”, it also helps point to the stated location together with the later “der”. Use “Der er ...” to say that something is present or available.

er “er” means “is” or “are” in “Der er etiketter” and “Er der nok plads derinde?” It is used both to state that something exists and to form the question about space. Use “Der er ...” for existence and “Er der ...?” to ask whether something exists.

etiketter “etiketter” means “labels” in “Der er etiketter ved siden af køleskabet”. It refers to the labels available beside the fridge. Use it after “Der er” when saying that labels are present.

ved In “ved siden af køleskabet”, “ved” contributes to the location expression meaning “beside the fridge”. The full phrase “ved siden af” identifies the position next to something. Use this expression before the thing that marks the location.

siden In “ved siden af køleskabet”, “siden” refers to the side and forms part of the expression meaning “beside”. Its meaning here comes from the complete phrase “ved siden af”, not from “siden” alone. Use the full expression before a place or object.

af In “ved siden af køleskabet”, “af” is part of the location expression meaning “beside the fridge”. It helps complete “ved siden af” before the object “køleskabet”. Keep the full expression together when describing something next to another thing.

køleskabet “køleskabet” means “the fridge” in “ved siden af køleskabet”. It is the object used as the reference point for the location. Use it after a location expression when saying where something is in relation to the fridge.

nok “nok” means “enough” in “Er der nok plads derinde?”, asking whether the available space is sufficient. It comes before “plads”. Use “nok” before a noun when checking whether there is a sufficient amount.

plads “plads” means “space” or “room” in “Er der nok plads derinde?” and “Der er plads der”. It refers to available room inside the fridge. Use “Der er plads” to say that room is available.

derinde “derinde” means “in there” or “inside” in “Er der nok plads derinde?”. It points to the inside of the shared fridge. Use it when referring to a place that is inside or already understood from the context.

Brug “Brug” tells someone to use the top shelf in “Brug den øverste hylde”. It is an instruction directed at the other person. Use “Brug ...” when telling someone to use a particular object or place.

øverste “øverste” means “top” or “uppermost” in “den øverste hylde”, identifying which shelf to use. It comes before “hylde”. Use it to specify the highest position among similar items.

hylde “hylde” means “shelf” in “den øverste hylde”. It is the place where the person is told to put the food. Use it after a describing word when identifying a particular shelf.

tager “tager” means “take” in “Jeg tager min mad ud senere”. Here it describes taking the speaker’s food out. It appears with the object “min mad” and the direction word “ud”. Use “tager ... ud” when describing taking something out.

min “min” means “my” in “min mad”, showing that the food belongs to the speaker. It comes before “mad”. Use it before something connected with yourself.

ud “ud” means “out” in “tager min mad ud”, showing movement from inside the fridge to outside. It follows the object in this expression. Use “... ud” when describing taking something out.

senere “senere” means “later” in “Jeg tager min mad ud senere”, giving the time for taking the food out. It appears at the end of the sentence here. Use it when an action will happen after the present moment.

Så “Så” means “so” or “then” in “Så er der plads til andre”. It introduces the result of taking the food out later. Use it at the beginning of a sentence to connect an action with its consequence.

til “til” means “for” in “plads til andre”, showing who the available space is intended for. It comes before “andre”. Use “plads til ...” when saying who or what there is room for.

andre “andre” means “other people” or “others” in “plads til andre”. It refers to the people who can use the space after the food is taken out. Use it after “til” when referring to other people without naming them.

Grammar Points

Sæt + objekt + ind

Sæt mad ind.

SED MAYTH en

Put food inside.

The imperative uses the verb form Sæt without a subject. The particle ind comes after the object.

sætter + objekt + ind

Jeg sætter mad ind.

yai SED-uh MAYTH en

I put food inside.

The verb-particle combination sætter ind means “puts inside”; the object comes between the verb and ind.

Danish Vocabulary

bruge verb

BROO-eh use

Må jeg bruge det fælles køleskab?

etiket noun

eh-tee-KAYD label

Gender: common

en etiket

etiketter noun

eh-tee-KAYD-uh labels

Gender: common

Der er etiketter ved siden af køleskabet.

fælles adj

FELL-ess shared; common

det fælles køleskab

før conj

FURR before

før du sætter den ind

hvor adv

vohr where

Hvor kan jeg finde en etiket?

ind adv

en in; inside

du sætter den ind

jeg pron

yai I

Må jeg bruge det fælles køleskab?

køleskab noun

KURR-luh-SGAY fridge; refrigerator køleskabet

Gender: neuter

det fælles køleskab

mad noun

MAYTH food

Gender: common

din mad

sæt verb

SED put; place Sæt

Sæt en etiket på din mad

sætter verb

SED-uh put; place

du sætter den ind

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Can I use the shared fridge?

Show Answer

Må jeg bruge det fælles køleskab?

Where can I find a label?

Show Answer

Hvor kan jeg finde en etiket?

Is there enough space inside?

Show Answer

Er der nok plads derinde?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

label

Show Answer

etiket

use

Show Answer

bruge

labels

Show Answer

etiketter

fridge; refrigerator

Show Answer

køleskabet