Making a private call during a work break | Learn Danish in English

Danish lesson set in a contemporary Copenhagen everyday setting: During a work break, one adult steps away for a private call while another agrees to track any missed updates..

EN → DA / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Making a private call during a work break to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Jeg er nødt til at foretage et privat opkald i pausen.

yai air nuht teel eh foh-reh-TAIR-uh pree-VAHT OP-kahld ee POW-suh(n). I need to make a private call during the break.
B

Brug den stille gang, hvis emnet er følsomt.

broo dehn STEE-luh gahng, ves EM-nuhd air FUHL-somd. Use the quiet hallway if the topic is sensitive.
A

Jeg vil ikke forstyrre folk, der stadig arbejder.

yai veel IK-uh for-STUHR-uh fohlk, dair STAY-lee AR-bai-dair. I don't want to interrupt people who are still working.
B

Mødet starter igen snart, så hold samtalen kort, hvis du kan.

MUH-thuh STAR-duh ee-GEHN snahrt, soh hohl SAM-tah-lun kohrt, ves doo kan. The meeting restarts soon, so keep it brief if you can.
A

Hvis jeg ikke er tilbage præcis til tiden, kan du så holde styr på det, jeg går glip af?

ves yai IK-uh air tel-BYE-uh preh-SEESS teel TEE-thn, kan doo soh HOHL-uh STUR poh deh, yai gohr gleeb ahf? If I'm not back exactly on time, could you keep track of anything I miss?
B

Det kan jeg godt, men skriv til mig, hvis opkaldet tager længere tid.

deh kan yai gohd, men skreev teel mai, ves OP-kah-luh tah-uh LONG-uh-uh teed. I can do that, but message me if the call takes longer.
A

Det gør jeg. Jeg burde være tilbage, før vi når til næste punkt på dagsordenen.

deh guhr yai. yai BOO-thuh VAIR-uh tel-BYE-uh, fuhr vee nohr teel NESS-duh poongd poh DAY-sohr-thuh-nun. I will. I should be back before the next agenda item.
B

Den første del efter pausen er bare en kort opdatering.

dehn FUHR-stuh dehl EF-duh POW-suh(n) air BAH-uh en kohrt ohp-dah-TAIR-ing. The first part after the break is just a quick update.
A

Det hjælper. Jeg går udenfor nu.

deh YEL-puh. yai gohr OO-en-fohr noo. That helps. I'll step outside now.
B

Tag den tid, du har brug for, men hold øje med uret.

TAIR dehn teed, doo hah broo fohr, men hohl OY-uh meh OO-uhd. Take the time you need, but keep an eye on the clock.

Word by Word

Jeg “Jeg” means I and is the speaker of the sentence. It is used as the subject before the verb, as in “Jeg er nødt til” and “Jeg vil ikke”. In the dialogue, it is used when A describes their own need, intention, and expected return.
er nødt til “er nødt til” means have to or need to and expresses necessity in “Jeg er nødt til at foretage et privat opkald”. The phrase combines “er”, “nødt” and “til” before the action that is necessary. A reusable pattern is “er nødt til” followed by “at” and an action.
at “at” marks the infinitive in “at foretage”, so it connects the necessity phrase with the action. Here it is not the conjunction meaning that. It commonly appears before an infinitive after expressions such as “er nødt til”.
foretage “foretage” means carry out or make here, specifically in the formal expression “foretage et privat opkald”. It is the action that follows “at” in “er nødt til at foretage”. The reusable pattern is “foretage et” followed by an activity or action.
et “et” means a or an and introduces the unspecified noun in “et privat opkald”. It comes before the adjective and noun. In this dialogue, it presents one private call that A needs to make.
privat “privat” means private and describes the call in “et privat opkald”. It is placed before the noun it modifies. The same adjective position can be used when describing a noun as private, provided the surrounding noun phrase is appropriate.
opkald “opkald” means call in “foretage et privat opkald”. It is the noun naming the phone call that A needs to make. It follows the article and adjective in this noun phrase.
i “i” means during in “i pausen”, referring to a period when something happens. Here it introduces the break during which the call will take place. The reusable time pattern is “i” followed by a period or event.
pausen “pausen” means the break and refers to the specific break at work. The form identifies a definite break and appears after “i” in “i pausen”. In the dialogue, the same break is mentioned again in “efter pausen”.
Brug “Brug” means use and gives a direct instruction in “Brug den stille gang”. It is the instruction to choose the quiet hallway. A reusable command pattern is “Brug” followed by the thing or place to use.
den “den” introduces the specific hallway in “den stille gang”. It appears before the adjective and noun as part of the definite noun phrase. In the dialogue, the capitalized form “Den” also introduces the specific first part in “Den første del”.
stille “stille” means quiet and describes the hallway in “den stille gang”. The form with “-e” is used in this definite noun phrase after “den”. It comes before the noun it describes.
gang “gang” means hallway in “den stille gang”. It is the place B recommends for the private call. The noun follows the adjective in this phrase.
hvis “hvis” means if and introduces a condition in “hvis emnet er følsomt” and “hvis du kan”. It is placed at the beginning of the conditional clause in the first example. The condition explains when the advice or request applies.
emnet “emnet” means the topic and refers to the specific subject of the call. It is the subject of “emnet er følsomt”. The form is used when referring to a particular topic already relevant in the conversation.
følsomt “følsomt” means sensitive in “emnet er følsomt”. It describes the topic after “er”. The ending in this form fits the noun phrase “emnet” in the dialogue.
er “er” means is in “emnet er følsomt”. It links the topic with the description “følsomt”. This is different in function from “er” in “er nødt til”, where it is part of an expression of necessity.
vil “vil” means want to in “Jeg vil ikke forstyrre folk”. It expresses A’s intention or willingness and is followed by the infinitive “forstyrre”. With “ikke”, the sentence says that A does not want to disturb people.
ikke “ikke” means not and makes the intention negative in “vil ikke forstyrre”. It appears after “vil” and before the action “forstyrre”. In the dialogue, it explains why A wants to use a separate place.
forstyrre “forstyrre” means interrupt or disturb in “forstyrre folk”. It is the infinitive action following “vil ikke”. The object of the action is “folk”, the people who are still working.
folk “folk” means people in “forstyrre folk”. It names the group A does not want to disturb. Here it is the object placed directly after “forstyrre”.
der “der” introduces the clause “der stadig arbejder”, which describes the people. It has the meaning who or that here. A reusable pattern is a noun followed by “der” and information about that noun.
stadig “stadig” means still in “der stadig arbejder”. It shows that the people continue working at the time of the call. It is placed before the verb “arbejder” in this clause.
arbejder “arbejder” means are working in “folk, der stadig arbejder”. It describes the ongoing activity of the people. The form appears after the relative marker “der”.
Mødet “Mødet” means the meeting and is the subject of “Mødet starter igen snart”. The form refers to the specific meeting being discussed. It begins the sentence because it is the topic of the update about its timing.
starter “starter” means starts in “Mødet starter igen”. It describes what the meeting does after the break. The adverb “igen” adds the meaning that it starts another time.
igen “igen” means again in “starter igen”. It shows that the meeting will resume after having stopped for the break. It is placed after the verb here.
snart “snart” means soon and gives the expected time of the meeting’s restart. It appears after “starter igen” in “Mødet starter igen snart”. The word is useful for indicating that an event is near in time.
så “så” means so and connects the meeting’s soon restart with the instruction “hold samtalen kort”. It introduces the consequence or reason for keeping the conversation brief. Here it links two parts of the same sentence.
hold “hold” gives the instruction keep in “hold samtalen kort” and “hold øje med uret”. In both expressions, it tells someone to maintain a condition or continue paying attention. A reusable command pattern is “hold” followed by the relevant object or expression.
samtalen “samtalen” means the conversation and refers to the call or conversation that should remain brief. It is the object in “hold samtalen kort”. The definite form points to the specific conversation already understood from the situation.
kort “kort” means brief or short in “hold samtalen kort”. It describes the desired length of the conversation after the object “samtalen”. The construction “hold” plus an object plus “kort” expresses keeping something brief.
du “du” means you and refers to the person B is asking or instructing. It appears in “hvis du kan” and in the question “kan du så holde styr på”. It is the subject of these clauses.
kan “kan” means can and expresses ability or possibility in “kan du så holde styr på” and “hvis du kan”. In the question, it softens the request to keep track of missed information. It is followed by the action or phrase that is possible.
tilbage “tilbage” means back in “være tilbage”. It describes returning to the meeting rather than simply being somewhere. The dialogue uses it with “være” and with the time phrase “præcis til tiden”.
præcis “præcis” means exactly and emphasizes the required timing in “præcis til tiden”. It modifies the time expression to show that being back at the exact time matters. It appears directly before that time expression here.
til “til” means on in the time expression “til tiden”. It is not the infinitive marker from “er nødt til at foretage”. Here it forms a fixed expression about arriving or returning on time.
tiden “tiden” means the time in “til tiden”. It refers to the relevant scheduled time for returning. The definite form is part of this established time expression.
holde styr på “holde styr på” means keep track of or monitor in “holde styr på det”. Together, “holde”, “styr” and “på” form the expression: “holde” contributes maintaining, while “styr på” identifies what is being monitored. A reusable pattern is “holde styr på” followed by the information, task, or thing being tracked.
det “det” refers to the information or things A may miss in “holde styr på det, jeg går glip af”. The following clause clarifies what “det” concerns. In the dialogue, the capitalized form “Det” also refers back to an action in “Det kan jeg godt” and “Det gør jeg”.
går glip af “går glip af” means miss, as in missing information from the meeting. It is a fixed expression made from “går”, “glip” and “af”; together they express failing to receive or experience something. The thing missed is introduced after “af” when it is stated directly.
godt “godt” means indeed or gladly in “Det kan jeg godt”. It strengthens B’s affirmative answer and shows willingness to do what was requested. The reusable construction is “kan” plus “godt” for an affirmative response.
men “men” means but and introduces a condition or limitation after B agrees to help. It connects “Det kan jeg godt” with the request to message B if the call takes longer. It marks a contrast between agreement and the added condition.
skriv “skriv” means write or message and gives the instruction in “skriv til mig”. It tells A to contact B if the call lasts longer. The reusable pattern here is “skriv til” followed by the person who should receive the message.
mig “mig” means me and identifies the recipient after “til” in “skriv til mig”. It refers to B, who wants to be contacted. The pronoun follows the preposition in this phrase.
opkaldet “opkaldet” means the call and refers to the specific private call already mentioned. It is the subject of “opkaldet tager længere tid”. The definite form shows that both speakers know which call is meant.
tager “tager” means takes in “opkaldet tager længere tid”. It describes the amount of time required by the call. A reusable duration pattern is a subject followed by “tager” and a time expression.
længere “længere” means longer in “tager længere tid”. It says that the call requires more time than expected or allowed. It directly modifies “tid” in this duration expression.
tid “tid” means time in “tager længere tid”. It measures how long the call lasts. In this expression, it follows “længere” to describe the call’s duration.
gør “gør” means do in “Det gør jeg”. Here it refers back to the agreed action rather than naming the action again, so the reply means that A will do it. The reusable response pattern is “Det gør jeg” when confirming an action just mentioned.
burde “burde” means should or ought to in “Jeg burde være tilbage”. It expresses an expected return rather than an absolute certainty. It is followed by “være” and the phrase describing the expected state.
før “før” means before and introduces the time clause “før vi når til næste punkt”. It places A’s return earlier than the specified agenda point. Here it connects two clauses rather than introducing a single noun.
vi “vi” means we and is the subject of “vi når til næste punkt”. It refers to the people participating in the meeting. The pronoun appears before the verb in this clause.
når “når” means reach or get to in “vi når til næste punkt”. It is the verb in the phrase “når til”, not the time conjunction meaning when. The reusable pattern is “nå til” followed by the point, stage, or item reached.
næste “næste” means next and describes the agenda item that follows the current one. It appears before “punkt” in “næste punkt”. The adjective identifies the following item in an ordered sequence.
punkt “punkt” means item or point in “næste punkt på dagsordenen”. It refers to one item in the meeting agenda. The phrase places it before the prepositional description “på dagsordenen”.
på “på” means on in “punkt på dagsordenen”. It connects the agenda item with the agenda on which it appears. Here it is a preposition introducing “dagsordenen”.
dagsordenen “dagsordenen” means the agenda in “næste punkt på dagsordenen”. It identifies the specific agenda being followed in the meeting. The definite form is used because the speakers have a particular agenda in mind.
første “første” means first in “Den første del”. It identifies the earliest part of the meeting after the break. It appears before the noun “del”.
del “del” means part in “Den første del efter pausen”. It names the section of the meeting being described. The phrase specifies it further with “første” and “efter pausen”.
efter “efter” means after and introduces “pausen” in “efter pausen”. It places the first part later than the break. Here it is used before a noun phrase to express time order.
bare “bare” means just in “bare en kort opdatering”. It downplays the scope of the first part by presenting it as only a brief update. It appears before the noun phrase it limits.
opdatering “opdatering” means update in “en kort opdatering”. It refers to a short piece of new information in the meeting. It is described by “kort” in this noun phrase.
hjælper “hjælper” means helps in “Det hjælper”. The subject “Det” refers to B’s reassurance about the meeting, so A says that this information is helpful. The expression “Det hjælper” can be used as a brief response to useful information.
udenfor “udenfor” means outside in “Jeg går udenfor nu”. It describes the destination of A’s movement. The dialogue uses it directly after “går” without another preposition.
nu “nu” means now and indicates that A is stepping outside at this moment. It appears at the end of “Jeg går udenfor nu”. It is a general time adverb for an action happening immediately.
Tag “Tag” means take in the instruction “Tag den tid, du har brug for”. Here it means to allow or use the amount of time needed. It begins a direct instruction and is followed by the object “den tid”.
har brug for “har brug for” means need or require in “den tid, du har brug for”. It is a fixed expression: “har” contributes have, “brug” contributes the idea of use or need, and “for” introduces what is needed. A reusable pattern is “har brug for” followed by the needed thing.
hold øje med “hold øje med” means keep an eye on or watch in “hold øje med uret”. Together, “hold”, “øje” and “med” form the expression: keep an eye with something, meaning monitor it. A reusable pattern is “hold øje med” followed by the person or thing being watched.
uret “uret” means the clock in “hold øje med uret”. It is the thing B tells A to monitor so A does not return late. The definite form refers to the relevant clock in the situation.

Grammar Points

være nødt til at + infinitiv

Jeg er nødt til at holde øje med uret.

yai air nuht teel eh HOHL-uh OY-uh meh OO-uhd.

I need to keep an eye on the clock.

Use være nødt til at before an infinitive to express necessity or obligation.

stadig + verballed

Folk arbejder stadig.

fohlk AR-bai-dair STAY-lee.

People are still working.

Stadig usually comes after the finite verb in a simple main clause.

Danish Vocabulary

arbejder verb
AR-bai-dair is working; works
emnet noun
EM-nuhd the topic
Gender
neuter
folk noun
fohlk people
foretage verb
foh-reh-TAY-uh make; conduct
forstyrre verb
for-STUHR-uh interrupt; disturb
følsomt adj
FUHL-somd sensitive
nødt til phrase
nuht teel need to; be obliged to
opkald noun
OP-kahld call
Gender
neuter
pausen noun
POW-suh(n) the break
Gender
common
privat adj
pree-VAHT private
stadig adv
STAY-lee still
stille adj
STEE-luh quiet

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

That helps. I'll step outside now.

Show AnswerDet hjælper. Jeg går udenfor nu.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

the topic

Show Answeremnet

the break

Show Answerpausen

make; conduct

Show Answerforetage

private

Show Answerprivat