Clarifying a taxi route politely | Learn Danish in English

About This Lesson

Use Clarifying a taxi route politely to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Undskyld, kører vi en anden rute på grund af trafikken?

oon-SGUL, KUR-uh vee en AN-den ROO-duh poh GROON ahv trah-FEE-kuhn? Excuse me, are we taking a different route because of traffic?

Vejen længere fremme er spærret, så jeg er nødt til at tage en omvej.

VAI-en LENG-uh FREM-uh air SPAIR-uhd, soh yai air NOHDT til ahd TAI-uh en OM-vai. The road ahead is blocked, so I need to take a detour.

Jeg spurgte, fordi jeg ikke kan genkende området.

Yai SPOOR-duh, FOR-dee yai IK-kuh kan GEN-ken-uh OM-roh-duh. I was asking because I don't recognize this area.

Denne vej er lidt længere, men vi burde kunne komme videre ad den.

DEN-uh vai air lidt LENG-uh, men vee BOOR-duh KUN-uh KOM-uh VEE-uh-ruh ahd den. This way is a little longer, but it should keep us moving.

Kan vi blive på større veje, hvis det er muligt?

Kan vee BLEE-uh poh STUR-uh VAI-uh, vis deh air MOO-lee? Could we stay on larger roads if possible?

Det kan jeg godt.

Deh kan yai goht. I can do that.

Det kan give et par minutter ekstra.

Deh kan GEE-vuh ed par mee-NOO-duh EK-strah. It may add a few minutes.

Men så bliver det nemmere at følge den.

Men soh BLEE-uh deh NEM-uh ahd FUL-guh den. But it will be easier to follow.

Det fungerer fint. Jeg har ikke travlt.

Deh FONG-uh-ruh fint. Yai har IK-kuh TRAH-wlt. That works. I'm not in a hurry.

Jeg vil undgå de små sidegader herfra.

Yai vel oon-GOH deh smoh SEE-uh-gair-uh hair-FRAH. I'll avoid the small side streets from here.

Jeg sætter pris på, at du forklarer ruten.

Yai SET-uh prees poh, at doo foh-KLAIR-uh ROO-den. I appreciate you explaining the route.

Jeg giver dig besked, hvis jeg skal ændre den igen.

Yai GEE-vuh dai beh-SGAYD, vis yai skal EN-druh den ee-GEN. I'll let you know if I need to change it again.

Word by Word

Undskyld “Undskyld” is used here to politely get the driver’s attention before asking a question. The same form can also express an apology, and a new example is “Undskyld, hvor er stationen?”.

kører “kører” means that we are driving or taking a route in “kører vi en anden rute”. The dictionary form is køre; a useful pattern is “kører vi ...?” when asking about the route being taken.

vi “vi” means “we” and refers to the passenger and driver together in “kører vi en anden rute”. It is used before the verb in this question, and a new example is “Vi tager en taxa” for “We are taking a taxi.”

en “en” is the indefinite article before the common-gender noun “rute” in “en anden rute”. It introduces one route that has not been identified as a specific route yet.

anden “anden” means “another” or “different” in “en anden rute”, showing that the route is not the one expected. A reusable pattern is “en anden + noun”, as in a new example, “en anden vej” for “another road.”

rute “rute” means “route” in “en anden rute”. The definite form “ruten” appears in “forklarer ruten” and means “the route”; “rute” is used after the indefinite article “en”.

på grund af “på grund af” means “because of” and gives the reason for taking a different route. The whole expression is formed by “på”, “grund”, and “af”; use it before a noun, as in “på grund af trafikken”.

trafikken “trafikken” means “the traffic” in “på grund af trafikken”, the reason given for the changed route. It is the definite form related to trafik, and the pattern “på grund af + noun” states a cause.

Vejen “Vejen” means “the road” in “Vejen længere fremme er spærret”. It is the definite form related to vej and is used as the subject of the statement about the blocked road.

længere “længere fremme” means “further ahead”, while “lidt længere” means “a little longer” later in the dialogue. These uses describe position or length, and the form can be reused before “fremme” for something located farther ahead.

fremme “fremme” contributes the meaning “ahead” in the expression “længere fremme”. Together, “længere fremme” identifies a place farther along the road rather than describing the road’s length.

er “er” means “is” in “Vejen længere fremme er spærret” and “det er muligt”. The dictionary form is være; it links a subject with a state or condition in these sentences.

spærret “spærret” means “blocked” in “er spærret”, describing the road as unavailable for passage. It is related to the verb spærre, and the pattern “er spærret” states that access is blocked.

så “så” connects the blocked road with the result “jeg er nødt til at tage en omvej”, meaning “so”. In “Men så bliver det nemmere at følge den”, it instead means “then” or “in that case”, linking a situation with its consequence.

jeg “jeg” means “I” and identifies the speaker in “jeg er nødt til at tage en omvej” and other lines. It is the subject pronoun used for the person speaking, as in the new example “Jeg tager en taxa.”

nødt til “nødt til” expresses necessity in “jeg er nødt til at tage en omvej”, meaning that the speaker has to take a detour. The complete expression combines “nødt” with “til” and is followed here by “at tage”; use “er nødt til at + verb” for something that must be done.

at In “nødt til at tage”, “at” introduces the action that must be done and corresponds to “to”. In “at du forklarer ruten”, it introduces the clause meaning “that you explain the route”, so its function depends on the construction.

tage “tage” means “take” in “at tage en omvej”, referring to choosing and following a detour. It follows “at” here, and a reusable pattern is “tage en omvej” when describing a route around a blockage.

omvej “omvej” means “detour” in “tage en omvej”. The noun names an alternative route used when the direct road cannot be taken; the reusable expression is “tage en omvej”.

spurgte “spurgte” means “asked” in “Jeg spurgte”, referring to the passenger’s earlier question. The dictionary form is spørge, and “Jeg spurgte, fordi ...” gives a reason for asking.

fordi “fordi” means “because” and introduces the reason in “fordi jeg ikke kan genkende området”. It is followed here by a clause with “jeg”, and the pattern “fordi + clause” explains why something happened.

ikke “ikke” makes the statement negative in “jeg ikke kan genkende området”, meaning that the speaker does not recognize the area. It is placed before the verb phrase here, and the pattern “ikke + verb phrase” is used to deny an action or ability.

kan “kan” expresses ability or possibility in “jeg ikke kan genkende området” and “Det kan jeg godt”. In “Kan vi blive på større veje?”, it forms a polite request about what is possible; the dictionary form is kunne.

genkende “genkende” means “recognize” in “kan genkende området”, referring to identifying a familiar place. It follows “kan” in the infinitive form, and a reusable pattern is “kan genkende + object”.

området “området” means “the area” in “genkende området”, the place the passenger does not recognize. It is the definite form related to område and functions as the object of “genkende” here.

Denne “Denne” means “this” in “Denne vej”, pointing to the route currently being discussed. It comes directly before “vej” and identifies one particular way or road.

vej “vej” means “way” or “road” in “Denne vej”. In this dialogue it refers to the route being used, and the pattern “denne vej” points to the current route.

lidt “lidt” means “a little” in “lidt længere”, reducing the degree of the comparison. It is placed before “længere” and can be reused before a similar description when the difference is small.

men “men” means “but” and contrasts “Denne vej er lidt længere” with “vi burde kunne komme videre ad den”. It joins two parts of the explanation where the second point limits or qualifies the first.

burde “burde” expresses an expectation or recommendation in “vi burde kunne komme videre ad den”, meaning that the route should allow continued movement. It is followed here by “kunne” and can introduce an expected result.

kunne “kunne” expresses ability or possibility in “burde kunne komme videre”. Together with “burde”, it says that the passengers should be able to continue; the reusable pattern is “kunne + verb”, as in “kunne komme videre”.

komme “komme” means “get” or “move” in “komme videre ad den”, referring to continuing along the route. It follows “kunne” here, and a useful pattern is “komme videre” for making onward progress.

videre “videre” means “onward” or “further” in “komme videre ad den”. It adds the idea of continuing rather than merely arriving, and the common pattern is “komme videre”.

ad “ad” means “along” or “via” in “komme videre ad den”, describing the route used for continuing onward. It is followed here by “den”, and “ad + route or path” can indicate movement along it.

den “den” means “it” or “that one” in “ad den” and “følge den”, referring back to the road or route being discussed. It avoids repeating the noun, so the reusable pattern is a verb or preposition followed by “den” when the referent is already clear.

blive “blive” means “stay” in “blive på større veje”, referring to continuing to use the larger roads. It follows “kan” here, and the pattern “blive på + route or place” expresses remaining on it.

større “større” means “larger” in “større veje”, distinguishing the requested roads from smaller ones. It is the comparative form related to stor and is placed before the noun it describes.

veje “veje” means “roads” in “større veje”. It names the roads the passenger wants to remain on, and the reusable pattern is an adjective followed by “veje”, as in “større veje”.

hvis “hvis” means “if” and introduces the condition in “hvis det er muligt”. The expression asks whether the request can be followed under that condition.

det “det” refers to the requested route choice or action in “Det kan jeg godt” and “Det kan give et par minutter ekstra”. In “hvis det er muligt”, it forms an impersonal expression about whether something is possible; capitalization as “Det” only reflects its position at the start of a sentence.

muligt “muligt” means “possible” in “hvis det er muligt”. The form is related to mulig and appears after “er” in this expression; “hvis det er muligt” is a reusable way to qualify a request.

godt “godt” adds an affirmative, reassuring force in “Det kan jeg godt”, meaning that the driver can indeed do it. Here it does not mean that the driver performs an action well; the whole response confirms willingness or ability.

give “give” means “give” in “give et par minutter ekstra”, where the meaning is to add a few minutes to the travel time. It follows “kan”, and the pattern “give + amount + ekstra” can describe an added amount.

et “et” is the indefinite article in “et par minutter”. Together with “par”, it forms the quantity expression “a couple” or “a few”, followed here by the plural noun “minutter”.

par “par” means “couple” or, in “et par minutter”, “a few”. The reusable quantity pattern is “et par + plural noun”, as in a new example, “et par dage” for “a few days.”

minutter “minutter” means “minutes” in “et par minutter ekstra”, the amount of additional time. It follows the quantity expression “et par” and can be used after a number or quantity expression for time.

ekstra “ekstra” means “extra” in “et par minutter ekstra”, indicating that the minutes are added to the expected travel time. It comes after the amount here and can modify an additional quantity in the same position.

nemmere “nemmere” means “easier” in “bliver det nemmere at følge den”. It describes the result of using larger roads, and the pattern “bliver ... nemmere at + verb” describes an activity becoming easier.

følge “følge” means “follow” in “at følge den”, referring to following the route. It follows “at” here, and the reusable pattern is “følge + route or object”, as in “følge ruten”.

fungerer “fungerer” means “works” in “Det fungerer fint”, confirming that the proposed arrangement is acceptable. The dictionary form is fungere; a useful response pattern is “Det fungerer fint” when agreeing to a plan.

fint “fint” means “fine” or “well” in “Det fungerer fint”, making the agreement sound positive and relaxed. It modifies the idea that the arrangement works and is part of the reusable expression “Det fungerer fint”.

har “har” means “have” in “Jeg har ikke travlt”. The dictionary form is have, and together with “travlt” it expresses the speaker’s available time rather than possession of an object.

travlt “travlt” contributes the meaning “in a hurry” in “har ikke travlt”. The fixed expression “have travlt” means to be busy or rushed, and with “ikke” it says that the speaker is not in a hurry.

vil “vil” expresses a future intention or commitment in “Jeg vil undgå de små sidegader”. The dictionary form is ville, and the pattern “vil + verb” states what the speaker intends to do.

undgå “undgå” means “avoid” in “vil undgå de små sidegader”, referring to choosing not to use those streets. It follows “vil” here and takes the object “de små sidegader”.

de “de” is the definite article before “små sidegader” in “de små sidegader”, referring to particular side streets in the area. It identifies the streets as known or specific rather than introducing unspecified streets.

små “små” means “small” in “de små sidegader”, describing the size or type of streets the driver will avoid. It comes before “sidegader” and forms the noun phrase “de små sidegader”.

sidegader “sidegader” means “side streets” in “de små sidegader”. It names the smaller streets branching away from the main roads, and the pattern “undgå + sidegader” describes avoiding them.

herfra “herfra” means “from here” in “Jeg vil undgå de små sidegader herfra”. It marks the point from which the driver will follow the new route, and it commonly comes at the end of a sentence about a change starting now.

sætter pris på “sætter pris på” means “appreciate” in “Jeg sætter pris på, at du forklarer ruten”. The whole expression combines “sætter”, “pris”, and “på”; it is followed here by “at” and a clause explaining what is appreciated.

du “du” means “you” and identifies the driver in “at du forklarer ruten”. It is the subject of the clause after “at”, and a new example is “Du forklarer ruten” for “You explain the route.”

forklarer “forklarer” means “explain” in “du forklarer ruten”, referring to the driver’s explanation of the route. The dictionary form is forklare, and the pattern “forklarer + object” names what is being explained.

giver “giver” means “give” in “Jeg giver dig besked”, where the full expression means “I will let you know”. The dictionary form is give, and the reusable pattern is “give nogen besked” for informing someone.

dig “dig” means “you” as the recipient in “giver dig besked”. It is the person who will receive the information, and the pattern “give dig + information or besked” addresses information to you.

besked “besked” means “notice” or “message” in “give dig besked”, which means to let you know. The useful fixed expression is “give nogen besked”, used when promising to inform someone.

skal “skal” expresses necessity in “hvis jeg skal ændre den igen”, meaning “if I need to change it again”. The dictionary form is skulle, and the pattern “skal + verb” can state what the speaker needs or is going to do in a given situation.

ændre “ændre” means “change” in “skal ændre den igen”, referring to changing the route. It follows “skal” here and takes “den” as the thing being changed.

igen “igen” means “again” in “ændre den igen”, showing that a further route change may be necessary. It comes after the action here and can be used to mark a repeated action.

Grammar Points

være nødt til at + infinitiv

Vi er nødt til at tage en omvej.

Vee air NOHDT til ahd TAI-uh en OM-vai.

We have to take a detour.

nødt til at + infinitiv viser, at man er tvunget til at gøre noget.

på grund af + substantiv / fordi + sætning

På grund af trafikken tager vi en omvej, fordi vejen er spærret.

Poh GROON ahv trah-FEE-kuhn TAI-uh vee en OM-vai, FOR-dee VAI-en air SPAIR-uhd.

Because of the traffic, we take a detour because the road is blocked.

på grund af følges af et navneord, mens fordi indleder en hel ledsætning.

Danish Vocabulary

køre verb

KUR-uh to drive; to travel kører

længere fremme adv

LENG-uh FREM-uh further ahead

nødt til phrase

NOHDT til obliged to; forced to

omvej noun

OM-vai detour

på grund af prep

poh GROON ahv because of; due to

rute noun

ROO-duh route

spærret adj

SPAIR-uhd blocked

spørge verb

SPUR-uh to ask spurgte

tage verb

TAI-uh to take

trafik noun

trah-FEEK traffic trafikken

undskyld intj

oon-SGUL excuse me; sorry

Undskyld, kører vi en anden rute på grund af trafikken?

vej noun

vai road; way vejen

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I can do that.

Show Answer

Det kan jeg godt.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

traffic

Show Answer

trafikken

to drive; to travel

Show Answer

kører

road; way

Show Answer

vejen

blocked

Show Answer

spærret