A Better Home Office | Learn Danish in English

About This Lesson

Use A Better Home Office to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Mine skuldre gør ondt efter at have arbejdet ved dette lille bord hele dagen.

MEE-nuh SKOOL-druh guh OHN ahftuh aht HAY-vuh AR-bai-duh veh DEH-duh LIL-uh bohr HAY-luh DAY-en. My shoulders hurt after working at this small table all day.

Din opsætning belaster din krop, især fordi skærmen står så lavt.

Deen OP-sehd-ning beh-LAHS-duh deen KROHB, ee-SAIR for-THEE SGAIR-men sdor soh LAOD. Your setup is hard on your body, especially with the monitor so low.

Jeg kan hæve den med bøger, indtil jeg køber et ordentligt stativ.

YAI kan HAY-vuh dehn mehd BUH-uh, EN-deel yai KUH-buh eht OR-den-le sdah-TEE. I could raise it with books until I buy a proper stand.

Det ville hjælpe på din kropsholdning.

Deh VIL-uh YEL-buh poh deen KROHSS-hol-ning. That would help your posture.

Du bør også undersøge, om genskin fra vinduet påvirker skærmen.

Doo burr OH-soh oon-deh-SOH-uh, ohm GEN-sgeen frah VIN-oo-uh poh-VEER-kuh SGAIR-men. You should also check whether glare from the window is affecting the screen.

Eftermiddagssolen gør skærmen svær at læse.

EF-tuh-mid-ahg-SOH-len guh SGAIR-men svair aht LAY-suh. The afternoon sunlight makes the screen difficult to read.

Prøv at flytte skrivebordet lidt, eller brug gardinet under dine opkald.

Pruhv aht FLUH-duh SGREE-vuh-bohr-deh leet, EL-uh broo gar-DEE-neh OON-uh deen OP-kahl. Try moving the desk slightly, or use the curtain during calls.

Hvis jeg føler mig mere tilpas, burde jeg også kunne arbejde bedre.

Vis yai FUH-luh mayr til-PAHS, BOO-duh yai OH-soh KOO-nuh AR-bai-duh BEH-duh. If I feel more comfortable, I should be able to work better too.

Små justeringer betyder noget, når du sidder i den samme stilling i timevis.

Smoh yoo-STAIR-ing-uh beh-TEE-uh NOH-uh, nohr doo SID-uh ee dehn SAH-muh STIL-ing ee TEE-meh-vehss. Small adjustments matter when you repeat the same position for hours.

Jeg kan prøve denne opstilling først, før jeg køber noget.

YAI kan PRUH-vuh DEHN-uh OP-stil-ing furst, fur yai KUH-buh NOH-uh. I can try this layout first before buying anything.

Det giver mening, fordi den billigste løsning måske er nok.

Deh GEE-vuh MAY-ning, for-THEE dehn BIL-uh-steh LOO-sning MAHS-keh air NOHK. That makes sense, because the cheapest solution may be enough.

Word by Word

Mine Here, “Mine” means “my” in “Mine skuldre” (“my shoulders”). It is placed before the noun it describes, as in “Mine skuldre gør ondt.”

skuldre “Skuldre” means “shoulders” here, referring to the speaker’s body part. It is used after “Mine” in “Mine skuldre” and can be the subject of “gør ondt.”

gør ondt “Gør ondt” means “hurts” in “Mine skuldre gør ondt.” The expression uses “gør” together with “ondt” to describe physical pain, and the painful body part comes before it.

efter Here, “efter” means “after” in “efter at have arbejdet.” It introduces the activity that happened before the shoulders began to hurt.

at Here, “at” marks the infinitive in “at have arbejdet.” It is used before the verb form that expresses the earlier activity after “efter.”

have “Have” is the auxiliary form in “at have arbejdet,” referring to work completed before another event. A reusable pattern is “at have” followed by a completed activity.

arbejdet “Arbejdet” means “worked” in “at have arbejdet.” It is the form used after “have” to refer to the completed work, as in “at have arbejdet ved dette lille bord.”

ved Here, “ved” means “at” or “by” in “ved dette lille bord,” locating the work next to or at the table. It is used before the place or object connected with the activity.

dette “Dette” means “this” in “dette lille bord,” pointing to the particular table being discussed. It comes before the description “lille” and the noun “bord.”

lille “Lille” means “small” in “dette lille bord.” It describes the table and is placed before “bord” in this noun phrase.

bord “Bord” means “table” here, specifically the small table where the speaker has been working. It appears in “dette lille bord,” after the pointing word and description.

hele Here, “hele” means “the whole” in “hele dagen,” emphasizing the entire day. It is used before “dagen” in expressions describing a complete period.

dagen “Dagen” means “the day” in “hele dagen.” Together with “hele,” it describes the full period during which the speaker worked.

Din “Din” means “your” in “Din opsætning,” referring to the listener’s setup. It is placed before the noun it describes; here it begins the sentence and is therefore capitalized.

opsætning “Opsætning” means “setup” here, referring to the arrangement of the work equipment. It is used with “Din” in “Din opsætning” and can be described as something that affects the body.

belaster “Belaster” means “puts strain on” in “belaster din krop.” It describes the setup as causing physical strain, and the affected object follows it: “din krop.”

krop “Krop” means “body” in “din krop,” the part that is put under strain. It follows the possessive “din” in this noun phrase.

især Here, “især” means “especially,” highlighting the low position of the screen as a particularly important problem. It is placed before the explanation beginning with “fordi.”

fordi “Fordi” means “because” and introduces the reason in “fordi skærmen står så lavt.” It is followed by a complete clause explaining why the setup is hard on the body.

skærmen “Skærmen” means “the screen” in “skærmen står så lavt” and “påvirker skærmen.” The ending in this exact form identifies the particular screen being discussed.

står Here, “står” means “is positioned” in “skærmen står så lavt.” Danish uses this expression to describe where the screen is placed, followed here by “så lavt.”

så “Så” means “so” in “så lavt,” showing the degree of how low the screen is positioned. It comes directly before “lavt” in this phrase.

lavt “Lavt” means “low” in “skærmen står så lavt.” It describes the screen’s position after “står” and is strengthened by “så.”

Jeg “Jeg” means “I” in “Jeg kan hæve den.” It is the subject of the sentence and is capitalized because it begins the sentence.

kan Here, “kan” means “can” in “Jeg kan hæve den,” expressing the speaker’s ability or option to raise the screen. It is followed by the infinitive “hæve” without “at.”

hæve “Hæve” means “raise” in “kan hæve den,” referring to lifting the screen to a higher position. It follows “kan” and takes “den” as the object.

den Here, “den” means “it,” referring back to the screen. It is the object of “hæve” in “hæve den,” and it comes after the verb.

med “Med” means “with” in “med bøger,” showing what the speaker would use to raise the screen. It is followed by the object “bøger.”

bøger “Bøger” means “books” in “med bøger,” referring to the books used as support. It follows “med” to show the means or material used.

indtil Here, “indtil” means “until” in “indtil jeg køber et ordentligt stativ.” It introduces the point at which the temporary solution will end.

køber “Køber” means “buy” in “jeg køber et ordentligt stativ.” It describes the planned purchase and is followed by the thing being bought.

et “Et” means “a” in “et ordentligt stativ.” It comes before the noun phrase and marks the stand as one unspecified item.

ordentligt “Ordentligt” means “proper” in “et ordentligt stativ,” describing the stand the speaker plans to buy. It is placed before “stativ” in this noun phrase.

stativ “Stativ” means “stand” here, specifically the proper stand intended to support the screen. It follows “et ordentligt” in the phrase “et ordentligt stativ.”

Det Here, “Det” means “that” and refers to raising the screen with books in “Det ville hjælpe.” It is the subject of the sentence and is capitalized because it begins the sentence.

ville “Ville” means “would” in “Det ville hjælpe på din kropsholdning,” presenting the expected result of the suggested adjustment. It is followed by the infinitive “hjælpe.”

hjælpe “Hjælpe” means “help” in “ville hjælpe på din kropsholdning.” It follows “ville” and is used with “på” to identify the area that would benefit.

på Here, “på” is part of “hjælpe på din kropsholdning,” meaning that the adjustment would improve the listener’s posture. It comes between “hjælpe” and the thing affected.

kropsholdning “Kropsholdning” means “posture” in “din kropsholdning.” It is the thing that the suggested adjustment would help with after “hjælpe på.”

Du “Du” means “you” in “Du bør også undersøge.” It is the person being given advice and is capitalized because it begins the sentence.

bør “Bør” means “should” in “Du bør også undersøge,” giving advice about checking the glare. It is followed by the infinitive “undersøge.”

også Here, “også” means “also,” adding another recommendation to the earlier suggestion. It appears after “bør” and before “undersøge.”

undersøge “Undersøge” means “check” or “investigate” in “bør også undersøge,” referring to examining whether the glare affects the screen. It follows “bør” and introduces the question with “om.”

om “Om” means “whether” in “om genskin fra vinduet påvirker skærmen.” It introduces an indirect yes-or-no question after “undersøge.”

genskin “Genskin” means “glare” in “genskin fra vinduet,” referring to reflected light from the window. It is followed by “fra” to identify the source.

fra Here, “fra” means “from” in “fra vinduet,” identifying the window as the source of the glare. It comes before “vinduet.”

vinduet “Vinduet” means “the window” in “genskin fra vinduet.” It follows “fra” and identifies where the glare comes from.

påvirker “Påvirker” means “affects” in “påvirker skærmen,” describing the effect of the glare on the screen. The affected object follows the verb: “skærmen.”

Eftermiddagssolen “Eftermiddagssolen” means “the afternoon sunlight” in “Eftermiddagssolen gør skærmen svær at læse.” It is the subject causing the screen to become difficult to read and is capitalized at the start of the sentence.

gør Here, “gør” means “makes” in “gør skærmen svær at læse.” Together with the following description, it states that the afternoon sunlight causes the screen to be difficult to read.

svær “Svær” means “difficult” in “gør skærmen svær at læse.” It describes how difficult the screen is to read within the pattern “gør ... svær at læse.”

læse “Læse” means “read” in “svær at læse.” It follows “at” and names the activity that is difficult because of the sunlight.

Prøv “Prøv” means “try” in “Prøv at flytte skrivebordet lidt,” giving a direct suggestion. It is placed at the beginning as an instruction and is followed by “at” plus an action.

flytte “Flytte” means “move” in “at flytte skrivebordet lidt,” referring to changing the desk’s position. It follows “at” and takes “skrivebordet” as its object.

skrivebordet “Skrivebordet” means “the desk” in “flytte skrivebordet lidt.” It is the object being moved and the specific desk is identified by the form used here.

lidt Here, “lidt” means “slightly” or “a little” in “flytte skrivebordet lidt,” limiting the amount of movement. It comes after the action and describes how far the desk should be moved.

eller “Eller” means “or,” presenting an alternative to moving the desk. It connects “flytte skrivebordet lidt” with the suggestion to use the curtain.

brug “Brug” means “use” in “brug gardinet under dine opkald,” giving another direct suggestion. It is an instruction followed by the object “gardinet.”

gardinet “Gardinet” means “the curtain” in “brug gardinet.” It is the object used to reduce the sunlight during the calls.

under Here, “under” means “during” in “under dine opkald,” referring to the time when the curtain should be used. It is followed by the activity or event “dine opkald.”

dine “Dine” means “your” in “dine opkald,” referring to the listener’s calls. It is placed before the noun phrase it describes.

opkald “Opkald” means “calls” in “dine opkald,” referring to the listener’s work or other calls. It follows “dine” in this phrase describing when the curtain should be used.

Hvis “Hvis” means “if” in “Hvis jeg føler mig mere tilpas,” introducing a condition. It begins the conditional clause that describes when the speaker expects to work better.

føler Here, “føler” means “feel” in “jeg føler mig mere tilpas,” describing the speaker’s personal state. It is used with “mig” and is followed by the description “mere tilpas.”

mig “Mig” means “me” in “føler mig mere tilpas,” referring back to the speaker as the person experiencing the feeling. It follows “føler” in this expression.

mere “Mere” means “more” in “mere tilpas,” indicating an increased level of comfort. It comes before “tilpas” to modify the description of how the speaker feels.

tilpas “Tilpas” means “comfortable” in “føler mig mere tilpas.” Together with “føler mig,” it describes the speaker’s physical or personal comfort in the setup.

burde “Burde” means “should” or “ought to” in “burde også kunne arbejde bedre,” expressing an expected result rather than a direct instruction. It is followed by “kunne” and then the activity “arbejde.”

kunne “Kunne” means “be able to” in “kunne arbejde bedre,” describing the ability to work better. It follows “burde” and is followed by the infinitive “arbejde.”

arbejde “Arbejde” means “work” in “kunne arbejde bedre.” It is the activity that the speaker expects to be able to do better after becoming more comfortable.

bedre “Bedre” means “better” in “arbejde bedre,” describing improved work. It comes after “arbejde” and compares the expected work with the current situation.

Små “Små” means “small” in “Små justeringer,” describing adjustments that are limited in size or extent. It comes before the plural noun “justeringer” and is capitalized at the start of the sentence.

justeringer “Justeringer” means “adjustments” in “Små justeringer,” referring to small changes in the work setup. It follows “Små” in the noun phrase and is the subject of “betyder noget.”

betyder Here, “betyder” means “matter” in “betyder noget,” saying that the adjustments have an effect or importance. It is used with “noget” in this expression.

noget “Noget” means “something” in “betyder noget,” and the whole expression means that something matters. It follows “betyder” as the object of this common expression.

når “Når” means “when” in “når du sidder i den samme stilling i timevis.” It introduces the recurring situation in which small adjustments matter.

sidder Here, “sidder” means “are sitting” in “du sidder i den samme stilling.” It describes remaining seated in a particular position and is followed by “i den samme stilling.”

i Here, “i” means “in” in “i den samme stilling,” describing the position in which someone sits. It comes before the noun phrase naming that position.

samme “Samme” means “same” in “den samme stilling,” showing that the position does not change. It comes before “stilling” and follows “den.”

stilling “Stilling” means “position” in “den samme stilling,” referring to the body position maintained for hours. It follows “den samme” in the noun phrase.

timevis “Timevis” means “for hours” in “sidder i den samme stilling i timevis,” indicating a long duration. It is used after the position phrase to say how long the situation continues.

prøve “Prøve” means “try” in “Jeg kan prøve denne opstilling,” referring to testing the arrangement. It follows “kan” and takes “denne opstilling” as its object.

denne “Denne” means “this” in “denne opstilling,” pointing to the particular arrangement being discussed. It comes before “opstilling” in the noun phrase.

opstilling “Opstilling” means “layout” or “arrangement” here, referring to the current way the desk and equipment are placed. It is the object of “prøve” in “prøve denne opstilling.”

først Here, “først” means “first,” indicating that the speaker will try this arrangement before buying anything. It comes after “opstilling” and before the following “før” clause.

før “Før” means “before” in “før jeg køber noget.” It introduces the action that will happen later than trying the layout.

giver Here, “giver” means “gives” in “giver mening.” Together with “mening,” it forms the expression meaning “makes sense.”

mening “Mening” means “sense” in “Det giver mening,” an expression used to say that an idea is reasonable. It follows “giver” in this fixed combination.

billigste “Billigste” means “cheapest” in “den billigste løsning,” identifying the solution with the lowest price among the options being considered. It comes before “løsning” and after “den.”

løsning “Løsning” means “solution” in “den billigste løsning,” referring to the way of improving the setup. It is described by “billigste” in this noun phrase.

måske “Måske” means “perhaps” in “måske er nok,” showing that the speaker is not certain whether the cheapest solution will be sufficient. It is placed before the clause describing that possibility.

er Here, “er” means “is” in “løsningen måske er nok,” linking the solution with the description “nok.” It appears before “nok” in the clause.

nok “Nok” means “enough” in “den billigste løsning måske er nok,” saying that the cheapest solution may be sufficient. It follows “er” and completes the description of the solution.

Grammar Points

Det gør ondt

Det gør ondt.

Deh guh OHN.

It hurts.

Danish uses det as a formal subject in this fixed expression; the body part or person can be left unstated.

den billigste løsning

Den billigste løsning giver mening.

Dehn BIL-uh-steh LOO-sning GEE-vuh MAY-ning.

The cheapest solution makes sense.

billigste is the superlative form of billig and comes before the noun; den agrees with the common-gender noun.

Danish Vocabulary

arbejde verb

AR-bai-duh work arbejdet

efter at have arbejdet ved dette lille bord

belaste verb

beh-LAHS-duh strain; put a burden on belaster

Din opsætning belaster din krop.

bog noun

BOH book bøger

Jeg kan hæve den med bøger.

gøre ondt phrase

guh OHN hurt; ache gør ondt

Mine skuldre gør ondt.

hæve verb

HAY-vuh raise; lift

Jeg kan hæve den med bøger.

krop noun

KROHB body

Din opsætning belaster din krop.

lav adj

LAO low lavt

skærmen står så lavt

opsætning noun

OP-sehd-ning setup

Din opsætning belaster din krop.

ordentlig adj

OR-den-le proper; decent ordentligt

et ordentligt stativ

skulder noun

SKOOL-duh shoulder skuldre

Mine skuldre gør ondt.

skærm noun

SGAIRm screen; monitor skærmen

skærmen står så lavt

stativ noun

sdah-TEE stand

et ordentligt stativ

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

That would help your posture.

Show Answer

Det ville hjælpe på din kropsholdning.

The afternoon sunlight makes the screen difficult to read.

Show Answer

Eftermiddagssolen gør skærmen svær at læse.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

setup

Show Answer

opsætning

raise; lift

Show Answer

hæve

screen; monitor

Show Answer

skærmen

low

Show Answer

lavt