Being locked out and asking for help | Learn Danish in English

About This Lesson

Use Being locked out and asking for help to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Jeg er låst ude af min lejlighed.

YAI air LAWST OO-uh uh men LIE-lee-hed. I am locked out of my apartment.

Har du en ekstra nøgle et sted?

HAH doo en EK-strah NUR-luh et STEHTH? Do you have a spare key somewhere?

Det har jeg ikke, men min udlejer har måske en.

Deh hah YAI EG-uh, men men OO-th-LIE-uh hah MAWS-guh en. I do not, but my landlord may have one.

Prøv at ringe til udlejeren nu.

PRURV uh RENG-uh teel OO-th-LIE-uh-en NOO. Try calling them now.

Må jeg vente indenfor, mens jeg ringer?

MAW YAI VEN-duh en-en-FOHR, mens YAI RENG-uh? Could I wait inside while I make the call?

Kom ind og bliv lidt.

KOM en oh BLEEV let. Come in for a while.

Det er koldt derude.

Deh air KAWLT dair-OO-thuh. It is cold out there.

Jeg vil forklare, hvad der skete, og spørge om nøglen.

YAI vel faw-KLAH-ruh, vah dair SGAY-thuh, oh SPUR-uh om NUR-len. I will explain what happened and ask about the key.

Sig til, hvis du har brug for noget, mens du venter.

SAY TEEL, ves doo hah BROO for NOH-thuh, mens doo VEN-duh. Tell me if you need anything while you wait.

Word by Word

Jeg Here, 'Jeg' means 'I' and refers to the speaker in 'Jeg er låst ude af min lejlighed.' It is reused when stating your own situation or action, such as when asking for help.

er Here, 'er' means 'am' and links 'Jeg' to the state of being locked out. The pattern 'Jeg er ...' is useful when describing your current condition.

låst Here, 'låst' means 'locked' as part of 'låst ude af min lejlighed.' Together with 'ude' and 'af', it describes being unable to enter the apartment. This is useful when explaining an access problem.

ude Here, 'ude' means 'out' in 'låst ude af min lejlighed.' It contributes the idea that the speaker is outside the apartment. It can be reused when describing being outside a place.

af Here, 'af' links the outside state to the place in 'ude af min lejlighed.' The pattern 'ude af' is useful when saying that someone is out of a particular place.

min Here, 'min' means 'my' and identifies the apartment as belonging to the speaker in 'min lejlighed.' It is useful before a singular noun when talking about something belonging to you.

lejlighed Here, 'lejlighed' means 'apartment' in 'min lejlighed.' It names the home the speaker cannot enter. You can use it when describing where you live or an apartment-related problem.

Har Here, 'Har' means 'have' in the question 'Har du en ekstra nøgle et sted?' The pattern 'Har du ...?' is useful for asking whether someone possesses or has access to something.

du Here, 'du' means 'you' and identifies the person being asked about the spare key. It is useful when addressing one person directly.

en Here, 'en' introduces 'en ekstra nøgle' as one unspecified key. Later, the same form in 'har måske en' stands for one key. It is useful before or instead of a singular item in this kind of question and answer.

ekstra Here, 'ekstra' means 'spare' or 'extra' and describes the key in 'en ekstra nøgle.' It is useful when asking about an additional item kept for use in an emergency.

nøgle Here, 'nøgle' means 'key' in 'en ekstra nøgle.' It names the object that could allow the speaker to enter the apartment. You can use it when asking whether someone has a key available.

et Here, 'et' introduces 'et sted', meaning an unspecified place or somewhere. It is used before 'sted' in the question about where the key might be. This pattern is useful when asking whether something is located somewhere.

sted Here, 'sted' means 'place' in 'et sted.' With 'et', the phrase asks whether the key is somewhere. It is useful when referring to a location without naming it.

Det Here, 'Det' refers back to having a spare key in 'Det har jeg ikke.' The phrase means that the speaker does not have it. This is useful for answering a yes-or-no question without repeating the entire object.

ikke Here, 'ikke' means 'not' and negates the statement in 'Det har jeg ikke.' It is useful for saying that something is not available or is not the case.

men Here, 'men' means 'but' and contrasts not having the key with the possibility that the landlord has one. It is useful for connecting a negative statement to an alternative or exception.

udlejer Here, 'udlejer' means 'landlord' in 'min udlejer.' It identifies the person who may have another key. You can use it when discussing an apartment, its access, or its owner or manager.

måske Here, 'måske' means 'maybe' or 'perhaps' and shows uncertainty about whether the landlord has a key. It is useful when suggesting a possibility without presenting it as certain.

Prøv Here, 'Prøv' means 'try' in the instruction 'Prøv at ringe til udlejeren nu.' The reusable pattern is 'Prøv at' followed by an action, useful when suggesting a possible solution.

at Here, 'at' introduces the action after 'Prøv' in 'Prøv at ringe til udlejeren nu.' It is useful in the pattern 'Prøv at' followed by an action you suggest trying.

ringe Here, 'ringe' means 'call' or 'telephone' in 'ringe til udlejeren.' It is the action being suggested. The pattern 'ringe til' is useful when naming the person or service you call.

til Here, 'til' means 'to' in 'ringe til udlejeren.' It connects the calling action with the person being called. The pattern 'ringe til' is useful when telling someone to telephone a person or service.

udlejeren Here, 'udlejeren' means 'the landlord' in 'ringe til udlejeren.' It is the definite form of 'udlejer' and refers to the specific landlord involved. You can use it when contacting that known person about the apartment.

nu Here, 'nu' means 'now' and asks for the call to happen at the present time. It is useful for making the timing of a suggestion immediate.

Må Here, 'Må' asks for permission in 'Må jeg vente indenfor, mens jeg ringer?' The pattern 'Må jeg ...?' is useful when politely asking whether you are allowed to do something.

vente Here, 'vente' means 'wait' in 'Må jeg vente indenfor?' It names the activity the speaker wants permission to do. This is useful when asking to remain somewhere until an issue is resolved.

indenfor Here, 'indenfor' means 'inside' or 'indoors' and describes where the speaker wants to wait. The pattern 'vente indenfor' is useful when asking to wait inside a building or room.

mens Here, 'mens' means 'while' and introduces the simultaneous action in 'mens jeg ringer.' It is useful for linking an activity that happens during another activity.

ringer Here, 'ringer' means 'call' in the clause 'mens jeg ringer.' It describes the call the speaker will make while waiting inside. This pattern is useful when explaining what you will do during a wait.

Kom Here, 'Kom' means 'come' in the invitation 'Kom ind og bliv lidt.' It invites the person outside to move inside. This is useful when welcoming someone into a home or room.

ind Here, 'ind' means 'in' and shows movement toward the inside in 'Kom ind.' It contributes the destination of the invitation. You can use it with an invitation to enter a place.

og Here, 'og' means 'and' and joins the invitations 'Kom ind' and 'bliv lidt.' It is useful for connecting two actions or requests in one sentence.

bliv Here, 'bliv' means 'stay' or 'remain' in 'bliv lidt.' It asks the person to remain inside for a short time. This is useful when offering someone a temporary place to stay.

lidt Here, 'lidt' means 'a little' and limits the duration in 'bliv lidt.' In this context, it means to stay for a short while. It is useful when making a temporary invitation sound limited.

koldt Here, 'koldt' means 'cold' in 'Det er koldt derude.' It describes the outdoor conditions that make coming inside sensible. You can use it when commenting on the temperature or weather.

derude Here, 'derude' means 'out there' and points to the area outside in 'Det er koldt derude.' It is useful when describing conditions in a place outside the current indoor location.

vil Here, 'vil' expresses the speaker's intention in 'Jeg vil forklare ... og spørge ...' The pattern 'vil' followed by an action is useful when saying what you intend or plan to do.

forklare Here, 'forklare' means 'explain' in 'Jeg vil forklare, hvad der skete.' It names the speaker's plan to describe the situation to the landlord. It is useful when giving someone the reason for a problem.

hvad Here, 'hvad' means 'what' in the clause 'hvad der skete.' It introduces the information the speaker plans to explain. This pattern is useful when referring to the details of an event.

der Here, 'der' helps form the clause 'hvad der skete', which means 'what happened.' It is part of the clause structure rather than a separate word meaning the whole expression. This pattern is useful when describing an event whose details you will explain.

skete Here, 'skete' means 'happened' in 'hvad der skete.' It refers to the event that caused the current problem and that the speaker will explain. You can use it when recounting what happened in a situation.

spørge Here, 'spørge' means 'ask' in 'spørge om nøglen.' It names the second action the speaker plans to take with the landlord. The pattern 'spørge om' is useful when asking about a topic or object.

om Here, 'om' means 'about' after 'spørge' in 'spørge om nøglen.' It introduces the topic of the question. The pattern 'spørge om' is useful when asking about information, an object, or a situation.

nøglen Here, 'nøglen' means 'the key' in 'spørge om nøglen.' It is the specific key being discussed, and it is the definite form related to 'nøgle'. You can use it when referring to that known key in the conversation.

Sig Here, 'Sig' means 'tell' or 'say' in 'Sig til.' Together, 'Sig til' invites the listener to let the speaker know if help is needed. This is useful when offering help and asking someone to inform you.

hvis Here, 'hvis' means 'if' and introduces the condition 'hvis du har brug for noget.' It is useful for offering help that applies only when a certain need arises.

brug Here, 'brug' is part of the expression 'har brug for noget', which means 'need something.' It contributes to the idea of having a need, but the full meaning comes from the whole expression. The pattern 'har brug for' is useful when naming something you need.

for Here, 'for' is part of the expression 'har brug for noget', meaning 'need something.' It links the expression of need to the thing needed. This pattern is useful before an object or service that someone needs.

noget Here, 'noget' means 'anything' in 'har brug for noget.' It refers to an unspecified thing the waiting person might need. It is useful as the object after 'har brug for' when the exact item is not known.

venter Here, 'venter' means 'wait' in 'mens du venter.' It describes the time during which the person remains waiting for the problem to be handled. This pattern is useful when offering help during someone's wait.

Grammar Points

Sig til, hvis du har brug for noget.

Sig til, hvis du har brug for noget.

SAY TEEL, ves doo hah BROO for NOH-thuh.

Let me know if you need anything.

The fixed phrase have brug for means “need.” In a clause after hvis, the verb har follows the subject du.

Prøv at + infinitiv

Prøv at ringe nu.

PRURV uh RENG-uh NOO.

Try calling now.

After prøv, use at plus the infinitive to express “try to do something.”

Danish Vocabulary

ekstra adj

EK-strah spare; extra

en ekstra nøgle

et sted phrase

et STEHTH somewhere

Har du en ekstra nøgle et sted?

indenfor adv

EN-en-FOHR inside; indoors

vente indenfor

lejlighed noun

LIE-lee-hed apartment

Gender: common

min lejlighed

låst ude phrase

LAWST OO-uh locked out

Jeg er låst ude af min lejlighed.

mens conj

mens while

mens jeg ringer

nu adv

NOO now

ringe til udlejeren nu

nøgle noun

NUR-luh key

Gender: common

en ekstra nøgle

prøve verb

PRURV-uh try Prøv

Prøv at ringe til udlejeren nu.

ringe verb

RENG-uh call; phone

Prøv at ringe til udlejeren nu.

udlejer noun

OO-th-LIE-uh landlord udlejeren

Gender: common

ring til udlejeren

vente verb

VEN-duh wait

Må jeg vente indenfor?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Try calling them now.

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Prøv at ringe til udlejeren nu.

Come in for a while.

Show Answer

Kom ind og bliv lidt.

It is cold out there.

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Det er koldt derude.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

apartment

Show Answer

lejlighed

try

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Prøv

call; phone

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ringe

landlord

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udlejeren